Box Score         • Final Stats     |     • VIDEO: Riley Stockton

SEATTLE – Revenge week got off to a successful start on Thursday at Brougham Pavilion.
 
Patrick Simon's 20 points led four double-figure scorers for 20th-ranked Seattle Pacific, which won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball rematch 76-53 to avenge an early-season setback against Saint Martin's.
 
The Falcons (17-4) extended their winning streak to six games, immediately following a 73-69 loss at SMU on Jan. 4. They remain in a first place tie with Western Washington, both owning 8-2 league ledgers.
 
Coach Ryan Looney pointed to improvement on both ends of the floor for SPU's six-game success since the loss in Lacey.
 
"We've grown defensively. We're valuing all of the little things more than we were at that point. The biggest thing is we're more bought in on offense, doing a better job sharing the ball."
 


The Falcons look to settle another score on Saturday. They can avenge their only other GNAC loss when they host Western Oregon in the annual Homecoming Game at 4 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. The Wolves were 74-70 victors in the first meeting, on Jan. 2 in Monmouth, Ore.
 
Looney admitted that his team was anxious to play these two foes again after being swept on the road in early January.
 
"I don't know if it was necessarily them beating us as much as us being disappointed in regards to how we played during that weekend. We were much better tonight and we're playing well. But we know that we need to take care of Saturday too."
 
Thursday's leading scorer was not available for either game on that early January road trip as he was sidelined with a hand injury.  Simon (Ephrata, Wash./WSU) compiled 15 of his points during the first half when hit nailed 3 of 5 shots from 3-point range. The senior forward finished 4 of 7 beyond the arc and shot 7-for-12 overall from the field.
 
 
"Tonight we probably weren't as efficient on offense as maybe we have been on some other nights, but plus-18 on the glass that's really good," Looney exclaimed.
 
"Overall it was a pretty good team effort. Our scoring was balanced, we helped each other out defensively pretty well and our block-outs on defensive possessions were as good as they've been all year."
 
David Downs (Kirkland, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) scored 11 of his 13 points during the first half for SPU, which also got 10 points Matt Borton (Yakima, Wash./West Valley HS).
 
The Saints (6-12) dropped to 3-7 in GNAC play. They were led by the 18 points of Ryan Rogers, who was their only scorer in double digits.
 
Seattle Pacific hit 7 of its first 10 attempts from the field en route to a 56-percent first half (15 of 27) and a 41-29 advantage at the break.
 
The hosts held a slim 22-19 edge before going on a 9-2 run, fueled by four points from Simon. That surge gave the Falcons their first double-digit lead at 31-21 with 5:56 left in the half.
 
Simon nailed back-to-back 3-pointers with 3:37 and 2:54 on the clock to push the lead to 41-27 before the Saints got the last basket leading into intermission.
 
The score was 43-33 early in the second half before a 19-7 surge pushed the margin past 20 points at 62-40 with 11:28 left to play. Saint Martin's never got closer than 16 points the rest of the way.
 
The Falcons shot 49 percent for the game (27 of 55) and SMU countered with 44-percent accuracy (23 of 52).
 
 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#20) Seattle Pacific 76, Saint Martin's 53
 
SAINT MARTIN'S (6-12, 3-7 GNAC)
Rogers 8-11 2-2 18, Norman 2-5 0-0 6, Dodson 3-7 1-2 7, Coulter 3-9 0-0 7, Copp 3-5 0-0 6, Jensen 3-5 0-0 6, Bianchini 1-6 0-0 3, Idowu 0-0 0-0 0, Karnofski 0-0 0-0 0, Bond 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 23-52 3-4 53.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (17-4, 8-2 GNAC)
Borton 4-6 0-0 10, Simon 7-12 2-2 20, Hutsen 3-6 2-5 8, Downs 5-11 2-3 13, Stockton 7-10 2-3 16, Penner 0-3 6-6 6, Ehlers 1-1 0-0 3, Hamlin 0-0 0-0 0, Rasmussen 0-2 0-0 0, Todd 0-1 0-0 0, Carroll 0-3 0-0 0, Parker 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-55 14-19 76.
 
Saint Martin's................   29   24   -   53
Seattle Pacific...............   41   35   -   76

3-point goals--SMU 4-16 (Norman 2-4, Coulter 1-2, Bianchini 1-6, Bond 0-3, Copp 0-1), SPU 8-23 (Simon 4-7, Borton 2-3, Ehlers 1-1, Downs 1-4, Rasmussen 0-1, Todd 0-1, Carroll 0-2, Penner 0-1, Stockton 0-3). Fouled out--SMU-None, SPU-None. Rebounds--SMU 21 (Dodson 5), SPU 39 (Stockton 8). Assists--SMU 6 (Coulter 4), SPU 12 (Downs 5). Total fouls--SMU 16, SPU 12. Technical fouls--SMU-None, SPU-None. Att.-426.


Next SPU Men's Basketball Game
Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific (Homecoming)
Saturday, Feb. 1, 4:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.