WEST REGION CROSSOVER CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, November 8 Seattle Pacific vs. Humboldt State, 7:30 p.m.
Special Events Center / Fresno, Calif.
Live stats and live Webcast
Saturday, November 9 Seattle Pacific at Fresno Pacific, 7:30 p.m.
Special Events Center / Fresno, Calif.
Live stats and live Webcast
Weekly release (PDF)
West Region Crossover Classic Tournament Central
GNAC season preview ((PDF)
SPU quick facts (PDF)
SEATTLE – Four returning starters. A key veteran back from a season-long injury. Four other veterans, ranging from sophomore to senior. Five talented freshmen eager to show they can contribute.
High hopes. High expectations, too.
For the past three weeks, all of that has been the Seattle Pacific Falcons on paper. This weekend, they take it to the court, tipping off the 2013-14 women's basketball season in Fresno, Calif., at the West Region Crossover Classic.
The Falcons, Humboldt State, Western Washington, and host Fresno Pacific will gather in FPU's Special Events Center for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. SPU squares off with Humboldt on Friday at 7:30 p.m., then takes on the host Sunbirds on Saturday evening at 7:30. Western, the Falcons' rival in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, plays the opposite opponents at 5:30 p.m. both nights.
This is the first of three straight weekends of preseason tournament play for Seattle Pacific. Sandwiched between trips to California is next weekend's annual Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Brougham Pavilion.
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Fans can stay in tune with all four tournament games, as live stats and free live Webcasts will be available. Appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
NEXT WIN IS ONE FOR THE BOOKS
When the Falcons record their first victory this season, it will be a milestone: the 700th in program history.
SPU starts the new campaign with an all-time record of 699-365, a winning percentage of .657.
Coach
Julie Heisey, beginning her ninth season at the Seattle Pacific helm, is responsible for 177 of those 699 victories. Her 2008-09 team recorded the 600th program win, a 76-56 victory at Chico State on Dec. 13, 2008, the final night of the GNAC-CCAA Challenge preseason tournament.
FALCONS PICKED FOR 2ND IN GNAC
With its talented core of returners,
Seattle Pacific has earned plenty of respect around the GNAC. Conference coaches tabbed them for a second-place finish in their
preseason poll.
SPU received one first-place vote and 80 points in the polling.
Montana State Billings, with three returning All-GNAC players and the addition of 6-foot-4 post player Chelsea Banis from Division I Montana State University, collected six first-place votes and 90 points.
Defending champion
Western Washington, coming off a trip to the NCAA D2 semifinals last spring, got the other three first-place votes and 78 points to rank third.
AND THAT'S NOT ALL
While putting their polling votes in order, the coaches also selected a preseason all-conference team. That 15-player squad included SPU senior forward
Katie Benson and senior guard
Aubree Callen. Both were unanimous selections.
The 6-foot-2 Benson (Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS) was a first-team All-GNAC selection last year after averaging career highs of 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. She also was SPU's top 3-point shooter at .448 (26 of 58) and the leading shot blocker with 24.
Callen (Jerome, Idaho), at 5-9, is coming off of her best-ever season in a Falcons uniform. She averaged 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, all of which were career bests. Callen also shot 88.5 percent at the foul line (100 of 113), ranking No. 12 nationally.
SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- In the 38-year history of the program, SPU has an outstanding record of 29-9 in season-opening games.
--The Falcons had a streak of 12 straight opening-night wins before UC San Diego halted it with a 68-47 victory in 2011.
-- However, SPU got back on track last year, beating Illinois Springfield in the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic, 80-64.
-- This will be the second time Seattle Pacific has faced Humboldt State in a season opener. The last time was in 1995, when the Falcons won easily, 89-65.
-- Humboldt used to be a regular on SPU's schedule when both schools were members of the Pacific West Conference (1999-2001) and then became charter members of the GNAC the following year. The Lumberjacks left the GNAC after the 2005-06 season to join the CCAA.
-- Because of that, SPU has played more games against Humboldt (25) than against any other CCAA school.
-- The Lumberjacks'only victory in the series was 69-67 on its home court in Arcaca, Calif., on Nov. 27, 1993 in what was just the second meeting between the teams. SPU has won the 23 games since then.
-- Fresno Pacific, one of four former members of the NAIA Golden State Conference to make the move up to NCAA Division II recently, has played three times previously against Seattle Pacific – but not since the 1996-97 season, when the Falcons prevailed, 71-60.
--FPU senior guard
Breana Buczek played for current SPU assistant coach
Steve Steele when both were at Brea-Olinda High School.
SCOUTING THE HUMBOLDT STATE LUMBERJACKS: 10-18, 6-16 CCAA (11th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 24-1.
Current series streak: SPU won 23.
Last time: SPU 74, Humboldt 62 (Nov. 21, 2009 at Seattle).
Lumberjacks on the Web.
Lumberjacks in a nutshell: Humboldt State returns two starters from last year's team that started strong, with seven wins in its first 10 games, but struggled down the stretch. One of those returners is 5-foot-11 senior guard / forward
Kelly Kime, who averaged 8.7 points (third on the team) and 6.4 rebounds (second). She was the sharpest shooter from the field for the Lumberjacks, hitting at a .488 clip (83 of 170). Also returning is 6-1 senior center
Elle Anderson with her averages of 6.9 points and 5.8 boards. She was Humboldt's second-best overall shooter at .459 (78 of 170). The biggest hole that the Lumberjacks will have to fill is that of graduated guard
Lisa Petty, who averaged a team-leading 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds. She is now an assistant to head coach Joddie Gleason.
SCOUTING THE FRESNO PACIFIC SUNBIRDS: 4-21, 4-14 PAC WEST (tie 12th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 2-1.
Current series streak: SPU won 1.
Last time: SPU 71, Fresno 60; Dec. 16, 1996 at Seattle).
Sunbirds on the Web.
Sunbirds in a nutshell: Their first year of competing at the NCAA Division II level after moving up from NAIA was a rough one for Fresno Pacific. But new coach
Lindsey Wilson has two full-time starters returning and two players who started more than half of the Sunbirds' games. The returning group includes leading scorer
Keairra White, a 5-6 junior guard who averaged 18.2 points per game – the only FPU player in double figures.
Brena Buczek, a 5-10 senior forward, averaged 5.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and was the team's leading passer at 2.3 assists per game. Sophomore forward
Charde Stevens started 13 of 25 games last year and became the team's top rebounder with an average of 6.6 per game. She also averaged 8.5 points. The Sunbirds will be looking to step up their shooting accuracy this winter after hitting just 32.5 percent from the field in 2012-13, while their opponents hit at a .433 pace.
SCOUTING THE 2013-14 FALCONS
Bolstered by the presence of senior all-conference players
Katie Benson and
Aubree Callen, and fueled by the desire to get back into the NCAA Division II Tournament after a two-year absence, coach
Julie Heisey's Falcons come into the 2013-14 season regarded as one of the teams to beat in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and one of the contenders for spot in the West Regionals come March.
Among those looking for much bigger and better things in 2013-14 is 6-foot-1 senior forward
Katie Benson. She blossomed in a big way as a junior, leading Seattle Pacific in scoring (16.4 points per game), rebounds (7.6), and 3-point shooting (.448). Benson set two major career milestones, topping 1,000 points and 500 rebounds on the way to team MVP and first-team All-GNAC honors.
Aubree Callen, a 5-9 guard, comes into her senior season after earning All-GNAC honorable mention distinction. She became a major presence for the Falcons as a junior, with career-best averages of 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Her .885 mark at the line helped SPU win the Division II national free throw championship.
Starting guard
Suzanna Ohlsen (Monroe, Wash. / Monroe HS) is back for her junior year. Ohlsen was a full-time starter as a sophomore, averaging career bests of 13.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. She hit .888 at the line (No. 11 nationally, one spot ahead of Callen).
Guard
Mechela Barnes (Tacoma, Wash. / Bellarmine Prep HS) was one of the two starters (now –graduated
Rachel Murray was the other) who went down with an injury in January. The 5-6 Barnes missed most of that month, but was back in time for the second half of the GNAC schedule and the conference tournament, winding up with marks of 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Making a much-anticipated return to action is redshirt junior guard
Besty Kingma. The 5-11 Kingma (Bellevue, Wash. / Newport HS) played just two games before an injury shut down her 2012-13 season. A sharpshooter from practically any distance on the court, Kingma has career averages of 6.0 points and 2.2 rebounds. Even with just two years of action, she is SPU's career leader from 3-point range at 43.6 percent (44 of 101).
Senior center
Riley Butler (Kent, Wash. / Kentlake HS) and sophomore forward
Maddey Pflaumer (Issaquah, Wash. / Issaquah HS) developed into very steady contributors off the bench last season. Other veterans back and vying for additional playing time are sophomore guard
Brianne Lasconia (Seattle / Shorecrest H)S and sophomore center
Molly Grager (Kirkland, Wash. / Juanita HS).
The Falcons welcome five freshmen to the fold, all of whom have played in their respective state high school tournaments: 5-7 guards
Caitlin Heinly and
Rachel Shim, 5-9 guard
Stacey Lukasiewicz, 5-10 forward / guard
Hannah Rodrigues, and 6-2 center
Julia Haining.
2012-13 FALCONS REPLAY
Thanks to a strong start and a strong finish, the Falcons put a 17-11 record into the books in 2012-13. Along the way, they advanced to the GNAC Tournament semifinals after a first-round victory against Montana State Billings – the same team that is favored to win the conference crown this season.
SPU went 10-8 in conference play, including one of the biggest wins in school history. On Valentine's night in Brougham Pavilion,
Katie Benson pumped in a career-high 32 points – and topped the career 1,000-point in the process – as the Falcons downed then-No. 8 Simon Fraser, 70-60.
For the 12th year in a row, Seattle Pacific swept through two games in its own Sodexo Tip-Off Classic, downing Illinois Springfield and Western State Colorado. It was part of a 9-2 start for the Falcons, who were flying high until starters
Rachel Murray and
Mechela Barnes both went down with injuries in the same game at Western Oregon on Jan. 3.
SPU lost five of its next six, but then bounced back to go 6-3 through the second half of the GNAC schedule and earn a spot in the conference tournament for the third straight season.
Katie Benson, with career-best averages of 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, earned a spot on the All-GNAC first team, and
Aubree Callen, also with best-ever marks of 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists, was an honorable mention selection. Benson was the first Falcon in 11 years to average more than 16 points per game.
NO. 1 AT THE LINE
It wasn't the result of a big game here and there. Rather, a consistent performance through all 28 games propelled the Falcons to the NCAA D2 free throw shooting championship last season.
Led by
Suzanna Ohlsen and
Aubree Callen, SPU finished the year with a school-record .798 percentage at the line (473 of 568). Ohlsen shot at an .888 clip (71 of 80), ranking No. 11 nationally, and Callen was right behind at .885 (100 of 113), which was No. 12 in the country. Also delivering you-can-count-on-it efforts were
Katie Benson at .792 (99 of 125) and now-graduated
Rachel Murray at .797(59 of 74).
SPU's .798 mark was high enough – by the slimmest of margins – to edge
Belmont Abbey College of North Carolina. The Knights finished at .797.
The old Seattle Pacific record was .776 (454 of 585) in 2004-05.
ALREADY AT THE TOP
Most of the time, players need a full four years to reach the highest rung in the school record book. But by virtue of long-established standards,
Suzanna Ohlsen and
Betsy Kingma already occupy No. 1 positions for Seattle Pacific.
Junior guard Ohlsen owns the best career free throw percentage of .878 (94 of 107). To qualify for a spot on that list, a player must have a minimum 100 attempts through at least two seasons of action.
Redshirt junior guard Kingma leads the career 3-point shooting percentage list at .436 (44 of 101). That one also has the 100 attempts through at least two seasons minimums.
Both of those lists include other active Falcons.
Aubree Callen is No. 3 for free throw percentage (.848 on 173 of 204), and
Katie Benson is No. 9 at .786 (253 of 322). They also are on the 3-point lists: Callen is No. 4 .at .390 (83 of 213), and Benson is No. 9 at .372 (64 of 172).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
Katie Benson logged six double-doubles last season, giving her 10 for her career.
Aubree Callen had her first college double-double in 2012-13.
They are the only two current Falcons with double-doubles.
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
100th field goal Betsy Kingma (has 79)
100th rebound Maddey Pflaumer (has 84)
100th steal Katie Benson (has 91)
200th field goal Suzanna Ohlsen (has 182)
300th field goal Mechela Barnes (has 294)
UP NEXT: IT'S SODEXO TIME
The
Sodexo Tip-Off Classic is back in Brougham Pavilion next weekend. The annual tournament, which has been a long-time part of SPU's schedule (albeit known by other names prior to Sodexo taking up sponsorship in 2005) will feature four games – two women's, two men's – on Friday, Nov. 15, and four more on Nov. 16.
The Falcons will go up against
Montana Tech on Friday at 5 p.m., then face
Point Loma Nazarene of San Diego on Saturday, also at 5.
Central Washington will be the other women's team in the tourney, and will play
Point Loma on Friday at 1 p.m., then
Montana Tech on Saturday at 1.
The
Seattle Pacific men, ranked No. 2 nationally following back-to-back appearances in the NCAA West Regional title game, square off against
Colorado Christian on Friday at 7, and
Dixie State on Saturday at 7.
Central Washington will play the opposite opponent in the 3 p.m. time slot both days.
