Box Score                • Final Stats

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Ryan Looney, your team is ranked second in the nation and just opened the season with three wins in three days, what are you going to do to celebrate?
 
"We're going to Disneyland," exclaimed the fifth-year coach. "We're going to spend Monday at the Happiest Place on Earth."
 
That place will seem even happier for the Falcons after they swept through their season-opening tournament with a trio of triumphs.
 
David Downs made all five of his 3-point shots and tallied 23 points Sunday for Seattle Pacific which concluded the Disney Tip-Off Classic with its third victory in as many days, a 66-55 decision over Texas A&M International at the Anaheim Convention Center.
 
Downs hit 7 of 10 shots from the field and converted all four of his free throws. He also distributed six assists.
 
"Dave put together three consecutive big games and he did it in a lot of different ways," Looney described. "Tonight he had a little bit more difficult defensive matchup than he does on most nights and he held what was their leading scorer a year ago to seven points.
 
"He did a good job running our team and, if you look at the boxscore, he didn't force anything. He only took 10 shots and made seven of them with 5 of 5 from the 3-point line and made all his free throws."
 
 
Downs (Kirkland, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) was voted the Preseason Player of the Year by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference coaches.
 
Three other Falcons netted double-figure points on Sunday. Cory Hutsen had 14 points, Patrick Simon 11 and Riley Stockton 10.
 
Texas A&M International (0-3) is located in Laredo, Texas. Curtis Trotter paced the Dustdevils with 16 points off the bench and Damal Donaldson added 12.
 
TAMIU hit four consecutive shots, capped by a 3-pointer from Johnel Grey 2:22 into the game, to break out to a 9-0 lead.
 
Downs nailed a 3-pointer on the next possession for the Falcons' first points. He added two more treys during the next four minutes as SPU drew within 17-16.
 
Matthew Culliver answered with a 3-pointer and his team led 20-16 with 11:32 until halftime. The Dustdevils were held scoreless for the next eight minutes while SPU reeled off 16 unanswered points to claim control of the game.
 
Mitch Penner closed the run with a 3-pointer that provided a 32-20 advantage with 3:57 left in the half. His trey was the Falcons' eighth in 10 tries to that point.
 
A sophomore forward, Penner (Seattle, Wash./Kennedy HS) started the last two games in place of Matt Borton, a transfer from Idaho who was sidelined for the last two games as a precaution after sustaining a minor head injury.
 
"Matt Borton went down the first half of the first game and we had to call upon some guys that haven't necessarily gotten all that much experience since they've been in the program," Looney said. "They answered the call and I have more confidence in playing them now."
 
SPU led 36-23 at halftime and the margin never got smaller than nine points during the second half despite one Dustdevils run of eight straight points.
 
The 3-point line proved to be the difference as the Falcons nailed 10 of 18 long-distance shots. TAMIU made just 3 of 16 attempts from beyond the arc.
 
From the field, the teams were nearly identical with SPU at 47.9 percent (23 of 48) and the Dustdevils 46.9 percent (23 of 49).
 
Pairings for the six-team tournament were pre-set so no champion was declared.
 
After Monday's visit to the Magic Kingdom, the SPU men return to Seattle for their home opener on Friday. They host Colorado Christian at 7 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion to conclude the first day of the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Disney Tip-Off Classic
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013
Convention Center/Anaheim, Calif.
 
(#2) Seattle Pacific 66, Texas A&M International 55
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (3-0)
Penner 2-4 0-0 5, Simon 3-5 4-4 11, Hutsen 7-13 0-0 14, Downs 7-10 4-4 23, Stockton 3-7 2-4 10, Carroll 0-4 0-0 0, Todd 0-0 0-1 0, Rasmussen 0-2 0-0 0, Ehlers 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 23-48 10-13 66.
 
TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (0-3)
Faniel 3-8 1-2 7, Clark 4-8 1-2 9, Donalson 6-8 0-0 12, Culliver 1-6 0-0 3, Grey 3-9 0-0 7 Jefferson 0-1 0-0 0, Pritchett 0-1 0-0 0, Rosas 0-0 0-0 0, Farrie 0-0 1-2 1, Trotter 6-8, 3-4 16. Totals 23-49 6-10 55.
 
Seattle Pacific...............   36   30  -   66
Texas A&M International.......   23   32  -   55
 
3-point goals--SPU 10-18 (Downs 5-5, Stockton 2-4, Penner 1-1, Ehlers 1-1, Simon 1-3, Carroll 0-2, Rasmussen 0-2), TAMIU 3-16 (Trotter 1-1, Grey 1-6, Culliver 1-6, Faniel 0-1, Clark 0-1, Pritchett 0-1). Fouled out--SPU-None, TAMIU-None. Rebounds--SPU 25 (Penner 7), TAMIU 29 (Trotter 10). Assists--SPU 14 (Downs 6), TAMIU 7 (Culliver 3). Total fouls--SPU 16, TAMIU 16. Technical fouls--SPU-None, TAMIU-None. Att-300.
 
 
Next SPU Men's Basketball Game
Sodexo Tip-Off Classic
Colorado Christian at Seattle Pacific
Friday, Nov. 15, 7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.