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DISNEY TIP-OFF CLASSIC
Convention Center / Anaheim, Calif.
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 –
(#2) Seattle Pacific vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills, 8:30 p.m. PST
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 –
(#2) Seattle Pacific vs. Lindenwood, 11:15 a.m. PST
 
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 –
(#2) Seattle Pacific vs. Texas A&M International, 6:15 p.m. PST
 
     • LiveStats for all games: www.goccaa.org
 
The Falcons start the men's basketball regular season with a flurry of games. Second-ranked Seattle Pacific (0-0) travels to Anaheim, Calif. this weekend to play three games in three days at the Disney Tip-Off Classic. The Falcons open on Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time against Cal State Dominguez Hills. They have a quick turn around to play the next morning, Saturday, Nov. 9 at 11:15 a.m., against Lindenwood, from St. Charles, Mo. The tournament concludes on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 6:15 p.m. versus Texas A&M International, which hails from Laredo, Texas. The pairings are preset so there will be no champion declared in the six-team tournament that also includes Alaska Anchorage and No. 6 Minnesota State.
 


Exhibition Recap
The Falcons drew a split of their two exhibition games. They defeated Concordia (Ore.) 92-71 at home on Oct. 29 behind 13-for-21 team shooting on 3-pointers and 24 points from Cory Hutsen. On Nov. 2 at Division I Stanford, Division II SPU was within one point, at 44-43, with 16:44 to play. But the Cardinal tallied the next five points and later used a 24-4 game-closing run to win 89-61. Chasson Randle amassed 37 points and shot 13 of 16 for Stanford. David Downs paced the Falcons with 20 points.
 
Falcons Fast Facts
Junior point guard David Downs was picked as the preseason Player of the Year by the GNAC coaches, who also projected the Falcons to capture the 2014 league title ... The Falcons were selected No. 1 in the Sporting News preseason magazine's national rankings of Division II teams ... SPU owns the longest current playoff streak among NCAA Division II men's basketball teams at nine years ... At 6-foot-4, SPU's Riley Stockton last year became the shortest player to lead the GNAC in rebounding with 7.5 boards per game. He received the 2013 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year award.
 
Senior point guard David Downs is a preseason All-American and was voted the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year by the league's coaches. A two-time, first-team all-conference selection, Downs enters the season ranked 46th among all-time GNAC players in career points with 1,132. He also ranks ninth in GNAC history in assists (411) and 18th in 3-pointers made (163). Downs (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) was a Division II Bulletin honorable mention All-America selection last year and was the MVP of the 2013 GNAC Tournament. Among all-time Falcons, he ranks 20th in career scoring (1,132 points) and ninth in assists (411).
 
Next Week
The Falcons first home games are Nov. 15 & 16 in the annual Sodexo Tip-Off Classic at Brougham Pavilion. They play the 7 p.m. nightcap of each day's four-game slate, meeting Colorado Christian on Friday and Dixie State on Saturday.
 
Scouting Cal State Dominguez Hills (0-0)
> The Toros are members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
 
> Dominguez finished with a 16-14 record last year with a sixth-place league ledger of 12-10.
 
> The Toros return three starters, including last year's leading scorer. A 6-7 senior forward Givon Crump averaged 11 points per game in 2013.
 
> SPU won all three previous meetings, 84-65 in Las Vegas (Nov. 25, 2006), 70-68 in Los Angeles (Nov. 25, 2005) and 84-64 in Seattle (Dec. 27, 1996).
 
> In his 11th year as head coach, Damaine Powell has a 152-130 record at CSUDH.

Scouting Lindenwood (0-0)
> The Lions hail from St. Charles, Mo. and are members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
 
> Lindenwood posted a 19-7 record last season and place third in the MIAA with a 12-6 mark.
 
> Junior 5-11 guard Darris Smith is the lone returning starter. He averaged 7.7 points in 2013.
 
> SPU and Lindenwood have never before met in men's basketball.
 
> Brad Soderberg compiled a 99-26 record in his previous five years at Lindenwood.
 
Scouting Texas A&M International (0-0)
> Located in Laredo, Texas, Texas A&M International is a Heartland Conference competitor.
 
> The Dustdevils completed the 2013 campaign with a 15-12 record and finished fourth in the league standings with an 8-6 record.
 
> Heading the list of returnees is 6-4 senior guard Johnel Gray from Portland, Ore. He scored at a 12.9 clip to lead all TAMIU scorers in 2013.
 
> SPU has never played the Dustdevils in men's basketball.
 
> Bryan Weakley is in his second season as head coach at TAMIU after three years as an assistant coach on the staff. He directed the Dustdevils to a 15-12 record in 2013.
 
2014 Preview
Fifth-year coach Ryan Looney has six of his top seven scorers back from last season's 24-7 squad that made its ninth straight playoff appearance. An impressive trio of returning starters is headlined by point guard David Downs, a preseason All-American who was picked as the Preseason Player of the Year by the GNAC coaches. The 6-foot-2 senior received the 2013 GNAC Tournament MVP award after leading SPU to the championship. Downs was the Falcons second-leading scorer with 14.2 points per game and led all GNAC playmakers with 170 assists (5.5 per game). Also back is senior Patrick Simon, a second-team all-conference forward, and junior guard Riley Stockton (Spokane, Wash./Ferris HS), an honorable mention pick. Simon scored at a 13.4-point clip and made 66 treys while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range. Stockton led the league with 7.5 rebounds per game and was named the 2013 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. Six other lettermen return, led by Cory Hutsen (6-8, Jr.) who takes over the starting center post after averaging 9.2 points as the backup. An impressive cast of newcomers includes Division I transfers Matt Borton (6-5, Jr., G, Idaho) and Jake Ehlers (6-7, So., F, Portland) along with 6-8 freshman center Joe Rasmussen, whose father Blair had a eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta. SPU must fill voids left by starters Jobi Wall and Andy Poling. Wall, a forward, led the Falcons in scoring (14.3 ppg) and topped the nation in 3-point field goal accuracy at 48.9 percent. Poling averaged 10.1 points and 3.9 rebounds from his center position.
 
Junior guard 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). The 2013 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, Riley Stockton prepped at Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash. The 6-foot-4 guard last year became the shortest player to lead the GNAC in rebounding at 7.5 boards per game.
 
Prolific Passers
The Falcons ranked No. 12 nationally with 17.2 assists per game in 2013. That figure is all the more remarkable considering they ranked just 65th in scoring at 75.7 points per game. Junior point guard David Downs led the GNAC and ranked 20th nationally with 5.5 assists per game (170 total).
 
Dynamic Defense
The SPU defense ranked No. 18 nationally last year, surrendering just 62.4 points per game. Two years ago, the 2012 squad established a school record in that category, limiting opponents to 60.7 points. Falcons foes shot 41.5 percent and just three of them reached the 50-percent plateau in a game last season.
 
Ryan Looney directed Seattle Pacific into the playoffs in each of his four seasons as head coach. He has a 92-28 record at SPU. The Falcons registered a 27-4 record last year, equaling the school standard for single-season victories while establishing the best winning percentage (87.1%) in the 70-year history of the program. They won the 2013 GNAC Tournament title after placing second in the standings with a 16-2 conference record. SPU won two playoff games before losing 62-58 at Western Washington in the West Region championship game. In 2012, the Falcons compiled a 23-8 record and lost 56-50 to eventual national champion WWU in the regional final. In 2011, SPU was 20-10 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 conference championship in his inaugural season. He was voted the 2010 GNAC Coach of the Year. Looney, who led his 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, 38, has a 187-83 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.
 
Remarkable Rebounders
SPU out-rebounded 27 of its 31 opponents this season. After finishing at third (+10.1) in 2012, the Falcons ranked No. 7 nationally with a plus-9.9 rebounding margin. Sophomore Riley Stockton led the league with 7.5  boards per game.
 
20-Game Winners
The Falcons reached the 20-win plateau in each of the last four seasons, equaling the school record streak accomplished once before, from 1999 to 2001. They have hit the 20-win plateau 21 times overall.
 
Ticket Talk
Season tickets for SPU basketball games are currently available. They are a tremendous value and assure a seat in the best location for every home game. Season tickets can be obtained by calling 206-281-2085. Individual game tickets for SPU men's basketball games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Reserved seats for Falcon men's basketball 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 and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling 206-281-2085 in advance.