Box score, play-by-play
 
MONMOUTH, Ore. – Some nights, the only way to win to grind it out for 40 minutes.
 
Thursday was one of those nights for Seattle Pacific.
 
Suzanna Ohlsen pumped in 17 points, one of three SPU players in double figures, and Mechela Barnes pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds, leading the Falcons past Western Oregon in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game, 72-65.
 
Junior forward Katie Benson (Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS) added 14 points, and junior guard Aubree Callen (Jerome, Idaho) had 13. Callen also had nine rebounds, coming of a career-high 13 in Monday's 76-66 non-conference victory against Dixie State. She went past 200 boards (now 206) for her career.
 
Junior guard Barnes (Tacoma, Wash. / Bellarmine Prep HS), beat her previous career high of eight rebounds, which she had matched five times, most recently against Dixie. What's more, she did it in just 17 minutes of action.
 
After an offensive rebound and a putback basket just two minutes into the second half, Barnes collided hard with a Wolves player and went down. As a precaution, she watched the rest of the game from the bench. Also taking a seat just one minute after halftime was starting guard Rachel Murray with ankle pain.
 
But even with those two starters on the sidelines, Seattle Pacific led throughout the second half.
 
“We were playing short-handed, but we did a lot of really good things,” head coach Julie Heisey said. “Aubree made some amazing passes to Katie Benson. We needed some big shots, and Katie made them. We won on the road, it was a conference win, and we were without two of our starters for part of the time. It's always big to get a road win, (especially) coming off of Christmas break.”
 
Seattle Pacific finishes the week on Saturday with a 5:15 p.m. game at Saint Martin's.
 
The Falcons appeared on the way to taking control of Thursday's game by building their first double-digit advantage of the night, 43-32, with 16:17 left.
 
But Western Oregon (5-8, 0-3 GNAC) trimmed it all the way down to one at 49-48 with 8:46 to go. The Wolves had a chance to go in front for the first time since they were up 8-4, but turned the ball over on a traveling violation. SPU kept them off the board for the next three minutes while building the lead back to five at 53-48.
 
WOU never came closer than three the rest of the way.
 
“We weren't playing terrible, but we just weren't able to get into a rhythm early on,” Heisey said. “It was a tough win. Western Oregon played really well. They shot 57 percent in the second half, and their bench came up big.
 
“We really had to battle.”
 
Western Oregon was led by the 14 points apiece of Mariah Durian and Lorrie Clifford.
 
Barnes' 10 rebounds led a 44-23 domination of the boards by the Falcons. SPU now has out-rebounded its opponents in 10 of 11 games this season.
 
The Falcons had a decisive advantage at the foul line, hitting 19 of 23 (82.6 percent), including 13 of 15 during the second half. The last four of those were by senior guard Michelle Teng (Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue Christian HS) in the final 90 seconds of the game. SPU came into this week ranked No. 13 in all of NCAA Division II for free throw shooting.
 
The Wolves got just seven shots at the line on Thursday, hitting five.
 
The Falcons gained some redemption for last January's 79-74 loss at Western Oregon as the Wolves ended a string of 28 straight defeats to SPU.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, January 3, 2013
New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.
 
Seattle Pacific 72, Western Oregon 65
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (9-2, 3-0 GNAC)
Ohlsen 5-13 4-5 17, Callen 4-6 5-6 13, Murray 1-4 2-2 4, Barnes 3-7 0-0 6, Benson 7-12 0-0 14, Bowen 2-4 0-0 6, Teng 0-0 5-6 5, Lasconia 0-0 0-0 0, Pflaumer 2-5 2-2 6, Stephens 0-3 0-0 0, Butler 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 24-54 19-23 72.
 
WESTERN OREGON (5-8, 0-3 GNAC)
Clifford 6-12 2-2 14, Divilbiss 5-9 1-1 13, Fowler 4-10 1-2 10, Reade 0-2 0-0 0, Goularte 2-9 1-2 5, Goddard 2-4 0-0 5, Henry 1-4 0-0 2, Durian 6-9 0-0 14, Rodriguez 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 27-61 5-7 65.
 
Seattle Pacific      33           39           -- 72
Western Oregon  28           37           -- 65
 
3-point goals – SPU 5-13 (Ohlsen 3-6, Callen 0-2, Murray 0-2, Barnes 0-2, Bowen 2-2), WOU 6-13 (Clifford 0-4, Divilbiss 2-2, Fowler 1-1, Goddard 1-2, Henry 0-1, Durian 2-3). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 44 (Barnes 10), WOU 23 (Goularte 8). Assists – SPU 13 (Ohlsen 4), WOU 16 (Divilbiss 6). Turnovers – SPU 20, WOU 14. Total fouls – SPU 14, WOU 18. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 89.
 
Records – Seattle Pacific 9-2, 3-0 GNAC. Western Oregon 5-8, 0-3 GNAC.
 
Next game – Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's, Saturday, Marcus Pavilion (Lacey), 5:15 p.m.