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Sodexo Tip-Off Classic • Brougham Pavilion • Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast for all games: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/spu.portal#  
• LiveStats for all games: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 –
Central Washington vs. Minnesota Crookston, 3:00 p.m. PST
Academy of Art vs. (#22) Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 –
Central Washington vs. Academy of Art, 3:00 p.m. PST
Minnesota Crookston vs. (#22) Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
 
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 –
Evergreen State at (#22) Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion • Seattle, Wash.
 
The regular season starts with a flourish for 22nd-ranked Seattle Pacific, which plays eight men's basketball games in 13 days to commence the 2014-15 campaign.  The Falcons open with their annual four-team Sodexo Tip-Off Classic at Brougham Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 15. Doubleheaders take place both days with the SPU men playing the 7 p.m. nightcap, against Academy of Art on Friday and Minnesota Crookston on Saturday. Central Washington plays the 3 p.m. opener both days against those same two opponents in reverse order of the Falcons. The SPU women are hosting a tournament the same days with games at 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. This is the first of four regular-season tournaments for the SPU men, the only one in Seattle. After entertaining Evergreen State on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at Brougham Pavilion, the Falcons embark on a five-game trip to Hawaii and a pair of tournaments. They compete in the PacWest/GNAC Challenge Nov. 21-22 in Laie followed by the Vulcans Thanksgiving Classic in Hilo Nov. 24-26. Great Northwest Athletic Conference play begins Dec. 4 at Northwest Nazarene.
 
Ticket Talk
Season tickets for SPU men's basketball games are still available. Call 206-281-2085 for ticket information. Individual tickets for SPU basketball games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Reserved seats are $9 and general admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free with i.d.
 
Sponsored by Sodexo
Seattle Pacific is grateful to Sodexo for annually sponsoring this tournament. Sodexo USA (www.sodexoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States. The Sodexo Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org) is an independent charitable organization that is leading the fight against hunger by supporting initiatives that focus on eliminating the root causes of hunger in the U.S.


 
Falcons Fast Facts
SPU was picked No. 22 in the NABC coaches preseason national rankings ... Seniors Riley Stockton and Cory Hutsen were named to the 15-man Preseason All-GNAC team and the defending league champion Falcons were projected third by the conference coaches poll ... SPU owns the longest current playoff streak among NCAA Division II men's basketball teams at 10 years ... While top-two scorers David Downs (20.4) and Patrick Simon (16.0) have departed, the next six highest SPU scorers return led by the 10.8 points of Cory Hutsen ... Sophomore center Joe Rasmussen's father Blair had a eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta ... Six of the 15 players on the roster had never before played a game in an SPU uniform, including projected starter Garrett Swanson, a transfer from Casper (Wyo.) College.
 
Exhibition Recap
Cory Hutsen scored 15 of his 25 points during the first half, helping Seattle Pacific build an early lead en route to a 77-59 exhibition win over Pacific Lutheran on Nov. 4 at Brougham Pavilion. The Falcons closed their exhibition slate with a 75-44 loss at Division I Brigham Young on Nov. 8. SPU trailed 40-30 at halftime, but shot just 22 percent (6 of 27) in the second half. Hutsen and Mitch Penner paced the Falcons with 10 points apiece.
 
Scouting Academy of Art
> A Pacific West Conference member, AAU posted a 6-21 record last year.
 
> Guard Alexis Moore led the Urban Knights with 17.6 points per game in 2014.
 
> The Falcons won all three previous meetings against AAU, an 89-70 decision on Dec. 29, 2009 in Seattle, a 63-33 victory on Nov. 26, 2011 in Phoenix, Ariz. and an 85-65 victory on Nov. 9, 2012 during the most recent encounter.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 3-0 record against the Urban Knights.
 
Scouting Minnesota Crookston
> An NCAA Division II competitor from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, UMC is located in Crookston, Minnesota 25 miles southeast of Grand Fords, N.D.
 
> The Golden Eagles have a veteran team with seven seniors and four starters returning from last season's 4-23 squad. Junior guard Derrick Redd is the leading scorer returning after averaging 10.2 points in 2014.
 
> Saturday marks the first ever meeting between SPU and Minnesota Crookston.
 
> Beginning his first season at UMC is Coach Dan Weisse, who spent the previous three years as the assistant coach at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has never coached against the Golden Eagles.
 
Scouting The Evergreen State College
> The Geoducks are an NAIA member school from the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
 
> Senior guard Jordan Dam is the top returning scorer after ranking fourth on the team with a 9.5-point average for the 4-21 TESC squad last season.
 
> The Falcons won all four previous meetings, including an 80-45 decision on Dec. 8, 2013 in the last encounter.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 7-5 all-time record against Evergreen.

 

Famous Uncle
Senior 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). Riley was an honorable mention All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honoree in 2014 and is a preseason all-league pick this year. The 2013 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, Riley Stockton prepped at Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash. In 2013, the 6-foot-4 guard became the shortest player to lead the GNAC in rebounding at 7.5 boards per game. Stockton led SPU with 5.8 rebounds per game last season while scoring at a 8.1-point clip and averaging 3.9 assists.
 
2015 Season Preview
Seattle Pacific has two large holes to fill, but don't discount the Falcons as they seek to extend the nation's longest playoff streak. Gone is 2014 GNAC and West Region Player of the Year David Downs. The All-America point guard averaged 20.4 points and 4.7 assists while ranking third nationally in 3-point accuracy at 47.4 percent. The national 3-point leader? Patrick Simon (50.0%), another SPU graduate and first-team All-GNAC selection, who averaged 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 2014. Filling the void for that dynamic duo is a trio of stellar starters entering their senior season. Guard Riley Stockton was the 2013 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and is a stat-sheet stuffer. Center Cory Hutsen will get more shots to improve his 10.9-point scoring production. Matt Borton scored at a 7.6-point clip last year after transferring from Idaho. Sixth-year coach Ryan Looney believes Borton is capable of greatly increased point production and is a potential breakout star. Also returning is super sub Mitch Penner, a junior forward who averaged 8.8 points and keyed several big non-conference victories. The Falcons lineup is bolstered by senior guard Shawn Reid, a transfer from Montana State who sat out last year as a red-shirt. A pair of junior college transfers are expected to make an immediate impact, especially Bryce Leavitt from North Idaho College in the newly vacant point guard role. Forward Garrett Swanson from Casper (Wyo.) JC is a sharpshooter who should ease the loss of Simon's long-range productivity. SPU competed in the last 10 NCAA Division II Tournaments and advanced to the West Regional championship game in 2012 and 2013.
 
2014 Season Review
The Falcons forged a 26-6 overall record last year, coming within one of the school record for single-season wins. They posted a 15-3 record to claim the 2014 conference regular-season championship and followed that with their second straight GNAC Tournament title. The Falcons participated in the NCAA playoffs for the 10th consecutive year and lost an 80-72 overtime decision against Cal State Stanislaus. Senior point guard David Downs was honored as a first-team All-American as well as the GNAC and West Region Player of the Year. He averaged 20.4 points in 2014 and departed ranked No. 2 in SPU career assists (561) and No. 3 in points (1,786).
 
Looney's Ledger
Ryan Looney, the 2014 GNAC Coach of the Year, directed Seattle Pacific into the playoffs in each of his five previous seasons. He has a 118-34 record at SPU, including a 26-6 mark last year. SPU won both GNAC regular season and tournament championships in 2014. The Falcons registered a 27-4 record in 2013, equaling the school standard for single-season victories while establishing the best winning percentage (87.1%) in program history. They won the 2013 GNAC Tournament title after placing second in the standings with a 16-2 conference record. SPU advanced to the West Region championship game in both 2012 and 2013. 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, 39, has a 213-89 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.
 
Defending Champs
SPU last season became just the second team to win both the GNAC regular-season and tournament championships, joining Central Washington (2011). The Falcons finished with a 15-3 record to secure their fifth GNAC regular-season championship since the league was formed in 2002. SPU won its second straight GNAC Tournament title with a 65-62 win over Western Washington.