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Dixie State Classic • Burns Arena • St. George, Utah
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 –
(#22) Seattle Pacific at Dixie State, 6:30 p.m. PST (7:30 pm MST)
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 –
(#22) Seattle Pacific vs. Colorado Mesa, 4:00 p.m. PST (5:00 p.m. MST)
 
• LiveStats for both games: 
http://www.sidearmstats.com/dixie/mbball/index.htm

• Webcast for both games (fee charged):
  http://www.b2tv.com/partner_members.asp?id=76

With a pair of high-level men's basketball exhibition games behind them, the 22nd-ranked Seattle Pacific Falcons (0-0) open the regular season this weekend in St. George, Utah. SPU takes part in the Dixie State Classic, beginning on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 MST) against the host Red Storm (0-0). Dixie ended the Falcons season last spring in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 75-73 decision on Mar. 12 in Ellensburg, Wash. On Saturday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, SPU and Colorado Mesa (0-0) meet for the first time in men's basketball. The Falcons have their home opener next week when they host the Sodexo GNAC/PacWest Challenge on Nov. 18 and 19 at Brougham Pavilion. They play Hawaii Pacific and BYU Hawaii.
 
Giant Killers
Seattle Pacific is an NCAA Division II competitor that won three of its last four games against Division I opponents, all of them road exhibitions. The Falcons, who were 69-68 victors at Arizona on Oct. 27, defeated Eastern Washington (87-82) and Nevada (84-81) on the road in last season's exhibition contests. SPU lost 77-60 at Washington on Nov. 4. This year's two encounters increase to 18 the number of Division I foes the Falcons have faced during the last eight seasons.
 
Recent Recap
Jobi Wall scored 24 points, including the go-ahead basket on a layup with 2:20 left in SPU's 69-68 upset over No. 16 Arizona on Oct. 27 at McKale Center. The Falcons led 37-29 at halftime. The Wildcats staged an 18-6 run and led by two before SPU scored six straight to take the lead for good. Nick Johnson's potential game-winning trey missed at the buzzer. On Nov. 4, C.J. Wilcox led four double-figure scorers for Washington with 19 in a 77-60 win over SPU. Andy Poling's 12 points and seven rebounds led the Falcons, who made just 10 of 23 free throws against the Division I Huskies.
 


2012 Preview
Third-year coach Ryan Looney returns three starters from last year's 20-10 squad that made its seventh straight playoff appearance. Heading the list of returnees is 6-foot-11 junior post Andy Poling, a Sporting News honorable mention All-American. The Gonzaga transfer averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his first year as a Falcon. Also returning is 2010 GNAC Freshman of the Year David Downs. He assumed the starting point guard duties midway through the season, after an injury sidelined All-American Chris Banchero, and averaged 6.9 points and 4.3 assists per game. The impressive list of newcomers features Jobi Wall, a 6-6 transfer who averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in 2010 at Colorado Christian. Freshman Riley Stockton is the nephew of Hall of Famer John Stockton, the NBA's all-time assist leader. The SPU men were ranked No. 22 nationally among NCAA Division II teams in preseason coaches poll.
 
Notable
Junior post Andy Poling is a Sporting News honorable mention preseason All-American ... In their second season at SPU, Division I transfers Andy Poling (6-11, Gonzaga) and Modou Niang (6-10, Utah State) are the tallest tandem in SPU history ... The Falcons biggest departure was guard Chris Banchero, a senior in 2011 who keyed last year's exhibition victories with 38 points at Eastern Washington and 33 at Nevada.
 
Scouting Dixie State (0-0)
> The Red Storm are two-time Pacific West Conference co-champions.
 
> Dixie lost both of its exhibition games, including a 96-85 decision at BYU.
 
> The Red Storm swept a pair of games last season to even the all-time series with SPU at 2-2. The Falcons won the first two encounters, defeating Dixie 82-76 on Dec. 20, 2006 in Utah and 71-67 on Dec. 30, 2006 in Seattle.
 
> The Red Storm won 68-61 in Seattle on Nov. 20, 2010 and then eliminated SPU from the 2011 NCAA Tournament with a 75-73 decision on Mar. 12 in Ellensburg, Wash.
 
> Third-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has an 0-2 record against the Red Storm.
 
Scouting Colorado Mesa (0-0)
> The Mavericks lost their only exhibition game, a 68-60 setback at Southern Utah.
 
> CMU is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference that posted an 18-10 record last season.
 
> Saturday marks the first ever meeting between SPU and the Mavericks.
 
> In his third season at SPU, Ryan Looney has never coached against Colorado Mesa.
 
1,000 & Counting
Seattle Pacific registered the 1,000th victory in its 69-year history with a 69-61 home win over Western Washington on Jan. 26 that was televised on FSN Northwest. SPU's all-time record is 1,008-679 (59.8%) since the program was founded in 1943-44.
 
Looney's Ledger
Ryan Looney begins his third season after directing Seattle Pacific to a 42-16 record and postseason berths in each of his first two campaigns. The Falcons were 20-10 last season and upset fifth-ranked Central Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Looney led SPU to a 22-6 record in 2010 and became the first coach to direct the Falcons to a conference championship in his inaugural season. He was voted the 2010 GNAC Coach of the Year. Looney, who led his alma mater Eastern Oregon University to the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Division II Tournament, was hired May 26, 2009 as the coach at SPU. He won his opening nine games on the SPU sidelines, the first coach to win more than his first three for the Falcons. Looney, 36, has a 137-71 (.659) career record, including a 95-55 record in five seasons with Eastern Oregon. He directed EOU to back-to-back NAIA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.
 
Terrific Transfer
The Falcons frontline is bolstered by the addition of transfer Jobi Wall, a 6-foot-6 junior wing who led all scorers with 24 points in the win at Arizona on Oct. 27. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range in 2010 at Colorado Christian University. Wall used an injury red-shirt season last year at CCU. SPU got a first-hand look at Wall on Dec. 30, 2009 at Brougham Pavilion. He amassed 28 points and 13 rebounds, while hitting 5 of 9 treys in a 73-69 Colorado Christian win over the Falcons. As a prep pitcher at Faith Christian High School, Wall tossed a perfect game and hit for the cycle in a five-inning contest during the 2008 Colorado state Class 3A playoffs.
 
Tropical Tour
The Seattle Pacific men got an early jump on the basketball season with a six-day trip to Nassau, Bahamas from Sept. 10-16. The Falcons swept three professional teams from the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA). They won 96-63 over the two-time defending league champion Commonwealth Giants, defeated the league runner-up Real Deal Shockers 75-52 and beat the Mailboat Cybots 93-51. Andy Poling averaged a double-double on the trip, with 19.3 points and 11.3 rebounds.
 
Seven-Year Surge
The Falcons posted a 146-59 record over the previous seven seasons, 12 more victories than any Great Northwest Athletic Conference team during that span. SPU compiled a 20-9 record in 2005, 26-6 in 2006, 18-10 in 2007, 21-8 in 2008, 19-10 in 2009, 22-6 in 2010 and 20-10 last season. The 146 combined wins are the second-highest seven-year total in school history, topped only by a 154-win run from 1996 to 2002. The Falcons competed in seven straight NCAA Division II Tournaments (2005-10), advancing to the national semifinals in 2006.
 
GNAC Coaches Poll
Seattle Pacific was picked to replicate last season's second-place finish by the league's coaches who voted in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball preseason poll. Alaska Anchorage and the Falcons both collected four of 10 first-place votes, but the Seawolves finished in the top spot by a slim one-point margin. UAA compiled 95 points and SPU had 94. Western Washington picked up the remaining two first-place votes and a third-place total of 86 points in the coaches poll. Defending GNAC regular-season and conference tournament champion Central Washington was selected fourth with 75 points. The SPU men were picked first in the previous two preseason polls. They won the GNAC title in 2010 and were runners-up in 2011. The Falcons claimed four league championships in the past 10 seasons,.
 
2011 Review
Seattle Pacific compiled a 20-10 record in 2011 en route to its seventh straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. The Falcons placed third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 12-6 mark. SPU was the last GNAC team standing in the 2011 playoffs after upsetting fifth-ranked Central Washington 76-63 during a first-round game in Ellensburg. The Falcons will look to replace two starters, leading 3-point shooter Jeff Downs (95 treys) and top rebounder Ryan Sweet (7.2 rpg). Also departed is Chris Banchero, the 2010 West Region Player of the Year who missed the final 19 games last season due to a knee injury. He amassed 22.4 points and 5.6 assists per game before being sidelined.
 
Ticket Talk
Season tickets for SPU men's basketball games are currently available. They are a tremendous value and assure a seat in the best location for every home game. Season tickets can be obtained by calling 206-281-2085. Individual game tickets for SPU men's basketball games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to the listed start time. Reserved seats for Falcon men's basketball are $8 for center court locations and $7 for other sideline areas. General admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 at least 72 hours in advance.