THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Jan. 10 Alaska Fairbanks at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
Live stats Live Webcast
Saturday, Jan. 12 Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific, 5:15 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
Live stats Live Webcast
Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
SEATTLE – The road has had a few bumps, but home has been a friendly place for the Seattle Pacific women's basketball team – and home is where the Falcons will be this week.
After splitting last week's games at Western Oregon and Saint Martin's, SPU will play host to Great Northwest Athletic Conference foes Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage this week in Brougham Pavilion. The Nanooks come down from Fairbanks for a game at 7 p.m. on Thursday, and the Seawolves are in town Saturday at 5:15 p.m.
The Falcons bring a 9-3 overall record into the week, including a perfect 5-0 in Brougham. That includes a 76-66 non-conference victory against Dixie State Falcons on Dec. 31 in their most recent home contest, and also includes wins against Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington to start the GNAC schedule five weeks ago.
Seattle Pacific resumed conference play last Thursday with a gritty 72-65 victory at Western Oregon, but dropped a 70-66 decision at Saint Martin's last Saturday.
It's back on the road next week for games at Western Washington on Thursday, Jan. 17 and at Simon Fraser on Jan. 19.
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Live stats and free live Webcast will be available from both of this week's games on Stretch Internet, the new Webcast home of the GNAC. Details can be found by clicking on the appropriate links at the top of this story.
RETURN OF THE GNAC TWIN BILL
Saturday's game against Alaska Anchorage will be the first of three women's-men's GNAC doubleheaders in Brougham Pavilion. The SPU men will tip off against Montana State Billings at 7:30 p.m.
Doubleheaders were a regular part of the GNAC schedule until last season, when the conference experimented with a mirrored schedule in which schools faced the same opponent, but at opposite venues. That concept was abandoned after the season and doubleheaders were re-instated.
The other two-for-one home dates will be Thursday, Feb. 14 when the women take on Simon Fraser and the men face Central Washington, followed just two nights later by the SPU-Western Washington women's showdown and a men's game against Northwest Nazarene. Both women's games begin at 5:15 p.m., followed by the men at 7:30.
SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- At 3-1 in the GNAC, the Falcons have the same conference record that they had after four games in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Last year, they were at 4-2 after six games; the year prior, they went to 5-1.
-- Seattle Pacific's 21-game winning streak against Alaska Fairbanks is now its longest against any conference opponent by far. In fact, it is now the only multiple-game win streak against any GNAC school.
-- Last year, Anchorage came to Brougham ranked No. 8 in the country. But SPU, despite playing without starter
Rachel Murray, who was out with a minor injury, led most of the way in posting a 67-62 victory.
-- For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the Seawolves come to town with someone other than Tim Moser as head coach. Moser resigned after last season and is now an assistant at Colorado State. Former Northwest Nazarene assistant Ryan McCarthy is now calling the shots for UAA.
-- SPU head coach
Julie Heisey is 14-0 all-time against Alaska Fairbanks.
-- Heisey is 11-7 all-time against Alaska Anchorage. She is 2-0 against Seawolves coach Ryan McCarthy, who served as the interim head coach at NNU.
-- Saturday's game will feature two of the top four free throw shooting teams in Division II. Anchorage is No. 2 at 80.0 percent, and Seattle Pacific is No. 4 at 79.5.
-- In spite of a cold shooting night at Saint Martin's last Saturday that netted her just eight points, junior forward
Katie Benson is still among the top 10 scorers in the GNAC, ranking No. 9 at 14.3 points per game. Sophomore teammate
Suzanna Ohlsen is No. 11 at 13.7.
-- SPU has out-rebounded 11 of its 12 opponents.
SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
One thing that has become very evident very quickly is that there are no nights off in the GNAC, and Seattle Pacific coach
Julie Heisey made clear that will hold true for this week's two visitors from Alaska.
“Fairbanks is very athletic. Last year, they hurt us on penetration and hurt us on transition,” she said. “They have some different personnel, but they have some very fast guards who can get to the rim. We have to stop penetration and just not give up easy baskets in transition. The other thing is they're competing the whole time, and they want to win. That's a compliment to them, and we can't let down.”
Anchorage is a considerably different team from last year, but Heisey needs no reminding that the Seawolves are still the Seawolves.
“They have a new coach and a lot of young players. But (veteran forward) Alysa Horn is an amazing player, and they have Sasha King and Kylie Burns … those are three who have played a lot the last few years, and we have to stop them from getting second shots. They're going to compete hard, and we know that.”
When the Falcons were down two starters because of injuries last Saturday at Saint Martin's, other players had to fill the gaps.
“The biggest thing mentally is having people step up and know that they count," Heisey said.
SCOUTING THE ALASKA FAIRBANKS NANOOKS: 2-9, 0-3 GNAC (tie 9th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 50-13.
Current series streak: SPU won 21.
Last time: SPU 69, UAF 62 (Feb. 4, 2012 at Seattle).
Nanooks on the Web.
Nanooks in a nutshell: Fairbanks ended the 2012 calendar year on a positive note with back-to-back homecourt victories against Dallas Christian, but 2013 got off to a bumpy start last week with home losses to nationally ranked Simon Fraser by 15 (71-56) and Western Washington by 28 (87-59). The Nanooks have players who can fill up the hoop, as five different ones have led the team in scoring. Last week, it was 5-foot-11 senior forward
Jacqueline Lovato in both games, as she had 15 against Simon Fraser and 14 against Western. Lovato also led the way on the boards both nights with eight and nine, respectively. Setting the scoring pace for the entire season is 5-6 junior guard
April Fultz at 11.9 points per game.
Taylor Altenburg, a 6-0 senior guard, averages a team-leading 6.3 per game to rank No. 10 in the conference. The Nanooks have some quick hands, as they lead the GNAC in steals at 12.4 per game. Sophomore guard
Benissa Bulaya is tied for No. 2 in the GNAC at 2.7 steals per game.
SCOUTING THE ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES: 7-4, 1-2 GNAC (tie 5th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 39-18.
Current series streak: SPU won 1.
Last time: SPU 67, UAA 62 (Feb. 2, 2012 at Seattle).
Seawolves on the Web.
Seawolves in a nutshell: Anchorage definitely has a different look this year, not only on the bench with new head coach
Ryan McCarthy, but up and down the roster, as well.
Hanna Johansson, the GNAC Player of the Year in 2012, graduated, while
Haley Holmstaed, the Newcomer of the Year, and
Gritt Ryder, the Freshman of the Year, did not return. Even so, the Seawolves still have an abundance of talent. Senior forward
Alysa Horn ranks No. 4 in GNAC scoring at 16.1 points per game and No. 2 in rebounding at 8.6. Senior guard
Sasha King leads the GNAC in assists (7.1 per game) and steals (3.3), and is tied for No. 7 in scoring at 14.7 points per game. King and Horn have led the team in scoring five times each, and Horn has been the top rebounder in all but two games. The Seawolves started off 7-2 and had a four-game winning streak just before Christmas, but are coming off rare back-to-back homecourt losses last week, falling to then-No. 20 Western Washington, 70-60, and No. 9 Simon Fraser, 75-51.
HOW DO THEY COMPARE
(GNAC rankings)
SPU UAF UAA
Points 74.3 (1) 65.6 (8) 73.1 (4)
Points allowed 65.2 (8) 75.4 (10) 64.0 (7)
Rebounds 41.5 (2) 41.2 (4) 34.9 (10)
Assists 16.2 (4) 13.9 (T7) 17.5 (2)
Steals 8.0 (10) 12.4 (1) 11.8 (2)
Blocks 2.7 (6) 1.8 (10) 2.5 (7)
Turnovers 19.1 (7) 20.2 (9) 13.5 (2)
FG percent .444 (2) .376 (9) .404 (5)
3-point percent .388 (1) .258 (10) .330 (6)
FT percent .795 (2) .600 (10) .800 (9)
FALCONS REPLAY
--
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 last Thursday night in Monmouth,
72-65.
--
Aubree Callen scored a career-high 26 points, but Saint Martin's went on a 14-0 run bridging the first and second halves to beat SPU last Saturday night in Lacey,
70-66.
IT'S HALFTIME
Thursday's game against Alaska Fairbanks will mark the midpoint of Seattle Pacific's 26-game schedule. Just like last year, the 13th game will be against the Nanooks (although it was in UAF's gym in 2012).
At the midpoint of last year's schedule, the Falcons were 10-3 overall and 4-1 in the GNAC – same as they will be if they win on Thursday. They were averaging 74.8 points, allowing 59.8, shooting 45.3 percent from the field, and pulling down 43.3 rebounds per game.
They come into this season's mid-point game averaging 74.3 points, allowing 65.2, shooting 44.4 percent and grabbing 41.5 rebounds per game.
TALK ABOUT A CAREER WEEK
Junior guard
Aubree Callen (Jerome, Idaho) already was enjoying her finest season as a Falcon – and that was before last week when things got even better.
Callen rewrote her career highs in three major statistical categories. On Dec. 31 in a non-conference game against Dixie State, she pulled down 13 rebounds, beating her previous best of nine which had been on the books just since Nov. 17. Then last Saturday at Saint Martin's, Callen pumped in 26 points, eclipsing her previous best of 21, which she set in that same Nov. 17 game against Azusa Pacific. That wasn't all. Callen came up with three steals against the Saints, one more than her previous high of two, which she had reached five times.
Coming into the 2012-13 season, Callen's career highs had been 17 points (twice) and seven rebounds.
BUTLER ON THE RISE
Junior center
Riley Butler (Kent, Wash. / Kentlake HS) is seeing more action these days, and it's showing up in her totals. The 6-foot-2 Butler already has played in 12 games (she played in 15 all last season), logging 81 minutes (88 last year, 110 for her first two seasons combined. Twice in the last month, she has established career scoring highs, tallying eight points at Notre Dame de Namur on Dec. 18, and nine at Saint Martin's last Saturday. Butler played a career-high 21 minutes in that game against the Saints, hitting 3 of 5 from the field and 3 of 4 at the line.
ON A RECORD FREE THROW PACE
Still plenty of basketball to be played, but the Falcons are well on their way to setting a single-season record at the foul line. Coming into this week, SPU has hit at a .795 clip (205 of 258). That's 19 points higher than the all-time mark of .776, set during the 2004-05 season.
Last year, Seattle Pacific came within .001 of that record, winding up at .775. It was just three seasons ago when the Falcons struggled to a .675 percentage at the line.
SPU has shot better than 80 percent for six consecutive games. Its low mark of the season was 65 percent (13 of 20) against Western State Colorado on Nov. 10. That came just one day after a mark of 94.4 percent (17 of 18) in a season-opening victory against Illinois Springfield.
WHO'S BEST IN WEST?
A total of four West Region teams are among this week's national top 25, and six others – including
Seattle Pacific – are receiving votes in the
ESPN / WBCA coaches poll that was released on Tuesday.
Simon Fraser, the co-leader of the GNAC with
Western Washington, has moved up to No. 7, and the Vikings are close behind at No. 11. They clash on Saturday night in Bellingham. In between them is
Chico State, all the way up to No. 9 and still undefeated at 10-0, including an 89-77 victory against SPU on Dec. 8 in Chico. The Wildcats lead the CCAA with a 6-0 record.
Perennial power
Grand Canyon is ranked No. 19 this week at 12-4 overall (4-1 in the Pacific West).
Not making the top 25 but receiving votes were
Academy of Art (11-3 overall, 4-0 in the Pac West),
Montana State Billings,
Alaska Anchorage,
Seattle Pacific,
Northwest Nazarene, and
Cal State Los Angeles (8-3 overall).
Not receiving any votes is Pac West leader
Dixie State. The Red Storm have a 5-0 record in conference play, but are just 7-6 overall, including a 76-66 loss at SPU on Dec. 31.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
-- The Falcons are No. 4 in
free throw shooting at .795. Winona State of Minnesota leads at .804.
-- SPU is No. 10 in
3-point percentage at .388 (Truman of Missouri leads at .481) and No. 17 in
field goal shooting at .444 (Truman leads at .492).
-- In
rebounding margin, the Falcons rank No. 17 at +9.6. Shaw of North Carolina leads at +15.0.
--
Suzanna Ohlsen is No. 12 in assist / turnover ratio at 2.48 and No. 27 in free throw shooting at .881.
--
Aubree Callen is close behind, ranking No. 31 in free throw accuracy at .878.
All statistics are through Jan. 6. Click on this link to see how SPU and GNAC players and teams stack up nationally.
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
100th 3-pointer Mechela Barnes (has 95)
100th assist Suzanna Ohlsen (has 82)
300th field goal Katie Benson (has 299)
300th rebound Rachel Murray (has 286)
Mechela Barnes (has 283)
400th rebound Katie Benson (has 378)
800th point Mechela Barnes (has 780)
MILESTONES MADE LAST WEEK
200th rebound Aubree Callen (has 212)
300th point Suzanna Ohlsen (has 313)
AROUND THE GNAC
Click on
this link for a look at news, notes and statistics from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
TICKET TALK
Tickets for SPU's home games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 3rd Ave. W.) on match day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to the listed start time for all home games.
Reserved seats are $8 for center court and $7 for the foul lines. 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.
SPU students who show their school identification will be admitted free to all home games.
UP NEXT
There are road trips, and then there's next week's road trip for the Falcons when they will take on two nationally ranked teams in their own gyms. On Thursday, Jan. 17, SPU visits current No. 11
Western Washington for a 7 p.m. game. Then on Jan. 19, it's up to Burnaby, B.C., for a game against
Simon Fraser, ranked No. 7 this week. That game also tips off at 7 p.m.
GNAC STANDINGS
Conference Overall
Simon Fraser 4-0 11-1
Western Washington 4-0 10-2
Seattle Pacific 3-1 9-3
Montana State Billings 3-1 9-3
Northwest Nazarene 1-2 9-2
Alaska Anchorage 1-2 7-4
Saint Martin's 1-3 8-6
Western Oregon 1-3 6-8
Central Washington 0-3 5-6
Alaska Fairbanks 0-3 2-9
