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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18 --
Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion • Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast: www.PennAtlantic.com  
• LiveStats: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball

Seattle Pacific closes out the home portion of its 2012 men's basketball schedule on Saturday, Feb. 18. The final Brougham Pavilion game for the third-place Falcons (19-5, 11-4 GNAC) tips off at 7 p.m. against fifth-place Montana State Billings (14-9, 9-6). The Yellowjackets won the last two meetings, both in Billings, following stretch of nine straight losses against SPU. The Yellowjackets were 86-77 victors on Jan. 21. With a win, SPU can reach the 20-win plateau for the sixth time in the last eight years, the 20th overall.

Senior Salute
A ceremony to honor SPU seniors Jake Anderson, Jeff Dorman and Modou Niang will be conducted prior to Saturday's 7 p.m. tip-off.

Ticket Talk
Tickets for Saturday's SPU basketball game can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Reserved seats 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 & senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special GA rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.



Dynamic Defense
SPU's defense ranks No. 6 nationally by surrendering 58.5 points per game, over three points fewer than the school-record figure of 61.8 points opponents were limited to in 1962-63. Academy of Art lost 63-33 to SPU on Nov. 26, the lowest opponent point total allowed since 1951. The Falcons have a 14-0 record when keeping opponents under 60 points. SPU is holding opponents to 38.6-percent shooting (No. 7 nationally). BYU-Hawaii (Dec. 10) and Alaska Anchorage (Feb. 2) are the only teams to shoot 50 percent against SPU. The Falcons held five foes under 50 points. Along with scoring and field goal defense, SPU also leads the league in rebound margin at + 9.8 (5th NCAA).

GNAC Tournament
For the second season, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference is sponsoring a postseason tournament with the winner receiving the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division II playoffs. The top six finishers from the regular-season standings compete in the conference tournament with the top two receiving first-round byes. All games will be played at Marcus Pavilion on the Saint Martin's campus. The quarterfinal games are Feb. 29 with the semifinals set for Mar. 2 and the championship game on Mar. 3.

Fast Fact
The Falcons outrebounded each of their last 14 opponents (567-353 combined), including a 61-24 margin over Alaska Fairbanks (Jan. 5) and 54-19 at Central Washington (Jan. 12).

Recent Recap
Andy Poling had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, leading SPU to a 72-64 win on Feb. 11 that completed the Falcons first season sweep over Central Washington since 2002. David Downs led all scorers with 23 points and was 10-of-10 from the free throw line. On Feb. 9 Riley Stockton scored all of his career-high 11 points in the first half of a 73-60 win over Northwest Nazarene. SPU finished with an 8-1 record in non-conference games, including a 76-65 home win over then third-ranked BYU-Hawaii (Nov. 19).

GNAC Race
First-place Western Washington owns a 1-1/2 game lead over Alaska Anchorage and is 2-1/2 games ahead of Seattle Pacific in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings. The Falcons are seeking to win the GNAC championship for the fourth time in seven years. They captured the 2010 and 2006 league titles outright and shared the 2007 crown with Seattle University. SPU was projected to finish second in this year's GNAC standings by the annual coaches poll, receiving four of 10 first-place votes. Anchorage also got four first-place votes and was picked first. WWU was selected third, garnering the two remaining first-place votes. SPU is aiming for its fifth GNAC title since the league was formed in 2001-02.

Scouting Montana State Billings (14-9, 9-6 GNAC)
> Saturday's matchup features a contrast of styles. The host Yellowjackets score at an 82.2-point clip that ranks second among GNAC teams and No. 14 nationally. SPU counters with the nation's No. 6 defense that surrenders just 58.5 points per game.

> Antoine Proctor leads the Billings attack with 19.3 points per game, the second-highest figure among GNAC scorers.

> The Yellowjackets won the last two meetings, both of them in Billings, to stop a nine-game losing streak against SPU. MSUB won this season's first encounter, an 86-77 decision on Jan. 21.

> Jamie Stevens is in his first year as head coach at MSUB after serving the previous four years at Central Wyoming College. Stevens played for the Yellowjackets and compiled a school-record 805 assists during his career from 1994-99.

> Third-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 3-2 record against MSU Billings.

Terrific Transfer
The Falcons frontline is bolstered by the addition of transfer Jobi Wall, a 6-foot-6 junior who led all scorers with 24 points in the win at Arizona (Oct. 27). He averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds and shot 44 percent on 3-pointers in 2010 at Colorado Christian. 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, 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.

Big Men on Campus
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. Poling is a Sporting News honorable mention preseason All-American.

Famous Uncle
SPU freshman Riley Stockton is the nephew of NBA Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, who distributed a record 15,806 assists during his 19-season career with the Utah Jazz (1984-2003). Riley Stockton prepped at Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash.

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.

Exhibition Recap
Jobi Wall scored 24 points, including the go-ahead basket on a layup with 2:20 left in SPU's 69-68 upset at No. 16 Arizona on Oct. 27 in Tucson. 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. A potential game-winning trey by UA's Nick Johnson missed at the buzzer. On Nov. 4, C.J. Wilcox led four double-figure scorers for Washington with 19 points in a 77-60 win over SPU. Andy Poling's 12 points and seven rebounds paced the Falcons, who made just 10 of 23 free throws.

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.

Looney's Ledger
Ryan Looney is in his third season after directing Seattle Pacific to postseason berths in each of his first two campaigns. His SPU record is 61-21 (.744). The Falcons were 20-10 last year 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 league title in his inaugural season. He was voted the 2010 GNAC Coach of the Year. Looney, who led 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 156-76 (.672) 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.

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.

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.

2011 Review
Seattle Pacific compiled a 20-10 record in 2011 en route to its seventh straight NCAA Division II Tournament berth. The Falcons placed third in the GNAC (12-6) and were the league's last 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.

Next Week
Seattle Pacific concludes its regular-season schedule on the road, visiting first-place Western Washington on Feb. 23 and Simon Fraser on Feb. 25.