Box score, play-by-play

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – When they needed some big shots, the Seattle Pacific Falcons found a way to hit them on Saturday night.
 
Mechela Barnes drained two tie-breaking free throws with six seconds left in overtime, giving SPU a 76-74 victory against Azusa Pacific on the final night of the West Region Crossover Classic at Western Washington University.
 
The Falcons (3-1) scored the final four points of the game at the line to come from behind inside the final minute and pull out the victory. Junior guard Aubree Callen (Jerome, Idaho) sank a pair with 48 seconds left, the last two of her career-high 21 points.
 
Azusa Pacific (0-3) then turned over the ball twice in the next 23 seconds, the second of which was a steal by Seattle Pacific junior forward Katie Benson (Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS), giving the Falcons possession with 25 seconds left.
 
Junior guard Barnes (Tacoma, Wash. / Bellarmine Prep HS) was fouled with six seconds showing and hit both for a 76-74 lead – her only two points of the game.
 
The Cougars got off a desperation shot at the buzzer, but it was an air ball.
 
Benson had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle Pacific and was named to the all-tournament team. That was her first double-double of the season and the fifth of her career. She was just one point shy of her career high.
 
Callen's 21 points surpassed her previous career high of 17, which she set twice, most recently last Feb. 18 at Montana State Billings.
 
Sophomore guard Suzanna Ohlsen (Monroe, Wash. / Monroe HS), coming off a career-high 19 points in Friday's 86-67 loss to No. 8 UC San Diego, chipped in 12, and senior guard Rachel Murray (Eglington, Australia) had 10.
 
“Suzanna hit some big shots, Aubree hit some big shots, and so did Katie Benson,” SPU coach Julie Heisey said. “We made our free throws down the stretch, and we needed those shots.
 
“It was pretty much a one-possession game (the rest of the way), and the kids played with a lot of poise.”
 
After leading by 10 at halftime, 36-26, Seattle Pacific quickly stretched it to12 with the initial basket of the second half. But the Cougars battled back, eventually taking a 49-46 lead – their first time on top since going up 2-1 in the opening moments of the game.
 
Callen put in a pair of free throws for a 64-62 SPU lead with 23 seconds left in regulation, only to see Azusa tie it on a lay-in by Amanda Sims at the six-second mark.
 
The Falcons scored the first four points of overtime, but the Cougars went on an 8-1 run to go up 72-69 with 1:22 remaining. Callen bombed in a trey to tie it at 1:10, then Calli Jackson answered with a lay-in for a 74-72 APU edge at 54 seconds.
 
Azusa scored no more, setting the stage for Callen and Barnes to bring Seattle Pacific back from the brink of a second straight loss in Bellingham.
 
“When it came down to crunch time, our kids rallied and found ways to play well,” Heisey said. “We got down by three (late in overtime), and that was the wake-up call we needed. All of a sudden, we realized, 'We want this game, and we have to play together.'”
 
For the game, SPU hit 21 of 29 from the foul line, including nine of its last 10 through the last 1:10 of regulation and all five minutes of overtime.
 
Sims led Azusa Pacific with 18 points, and made it a double-double with 11 rebounds.
 
The Falcons have no games during Thanksgiving week, and will return to action to begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on Thursday, Nov. 29 against Northwest Nazarene in Brougham Pavilion at 7 p.m.
  

NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
West Region Crossover Classic
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Carver Gym / Bellingham, Wash.
                                                    
Seattle Pacific 76, Azusa Pacific 74 (OT)
 
AZUSA PACIFIC (0-3)
Sims 7-17 4-7 18; Kenny 7-12 0-1 14; Powell 5-7 0-0 14; Gilster 5-7 3-5 13; Ellis 2-8 0-0 5; Jackson 2-7
0-2 4; Nordberg 1-3 0-2 2; Ziegler 1-6 0-1 2; Hardeman 1-7 0-1 2; Jones 0-3 0-1 0. Totals 31-77 7-20 74.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (3-1)
Benson  9-18 4-7 23; Callen 5-11 9-9 21; Ohlsen  5-14 0-112; Murray 3-5 2-4 10; Barnes 1-8 4-4 6; Pflaumer 0-3
2-2 2; Bowen 1-6 0-0 2; Butler 0-1 0-2 0; Stephens 0-0 0-0 0; Grager 0-1 0-0 0; Teng  0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-67 21-29 76.

Azusa Pacific.................   26   38   10  -   74
Seattle Pacific...............   36   28   12  -   76
 
3-point goals--Azusa Pacific 5-18 (Powell, 4-5; Ellis 1-4; Hardeman 0-6; Jones 0-1; Sims 0-2), Seattle Pacific 7-17 (Callen 2-6; Murray 2-3; Ohlsen 2-4; Benson1-1; Bowen 0-1; Barnes 0-2). Fouled out—Azusa Pacific-Hardeman; Jackson; Kenny, Seattle Pacific-None. Rebounds--Azusa Pacific 53 (Sims 11), Seattle Pacific 49 (Benson 10). Assists--Azusa Pacific 15 (Ziegler 4), Seattle Pacific 19 (Callen 5; Ohlsen 5). Total fouls--Azusa Pacific 24, Seattle Pacific 20. Technical fouls--Azusa Pacific-None, Seattle Pacific-None. Attendance -138.

Records -- Seattle Pacific 3-1. Azusa Pacific 0-3.

Next game -- Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific, Nov. 29, Brougham Pavilion, 7:00 p.m.