• Complete Release (pdf)     |     • VIDEO: Cory  Hutsen

Las Vegas Challenge / Orleans Arena / Las Vegas, Nevada
• LiveStats for all games: http://www.sidearmstats.com/dixie/mbball/
 
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 –
Seattle Pacific vs. Dixie State, 7:30 p.m. PST
• Audio: http://southernutahlive.com/live/athletics_radio
 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18 –
Seattle Pacific vs. Rollins, 2:30 p.m. PST
• Audio: http://www.rollinssports.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?SPID=11254&db_oem_id=19500
 
The Falcons focus on the hardwood not the holidays this week. They close out the 2014 calendar year and the non-conference portion of their men's basketball schedule with a pair of games in Las Vegas, Nevada. Seattle Pacific (7-3) starts the Las Vegas Challenge against tournament host Dixie State (4-3) on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time. That will be played at the Orleans Arena where SPU clashes with Rollins on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. The Falcons lost their only previous meeting against Rollins, also in Las Vegas, and have a 4-3 series edge over Dixie. After this week's games the SPU men can turn their attention to Christmas as they take a week off from practice. That break extends another week off from competition before the Falcons return to action at home on Jan. 1 at 7 p.m. against Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Western Oregon.
 
Viva Las Vegas!
The Falcons used to regularly visit Las Vegas for a December tournament, but haven't done so in six seasons. Their last visit, in December 2008, saw a record snowfall that nearly prevented their flight from arriving. SPU defeated North Alabama 96-81 before losing 87-64 to Central Missouri.
 


Hutsen Joins 1,000-Point Club
Cory Hutsen netted 15 points Friday, the final coming on a free throw with 3:26 remaining the accounted for his 1,000th career point. The 6-foot-8 senior center is the 34th player in the history of the SPU men's basketball program to reach that milestone. Hutsen is three points behind 33rd-ranked John Borton (1969-72), whose son Matt Borton currently plays at SPU and is the team's third-leading scorer (12.4 ppg). Hutsen leads the Falcons with a 17.9-point scoring average that includes five 20-point performances. He scored 201 points (6.5 ppg) in 2012, 285 (9.2) in 2013, 344 (10,8) in 2014 and has 170 points this season.

 

Player of the Week
Mitch Penner, who amassed a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 100-67 home win over George Fox on Dec. 12, was named the GNAC Player of the Week on Monday. Penner registered his first career double-double in his first start of the season. He scored nine consecutive points midway through the second half to ignite an 18-point run that put the game away. The junior forward from Seattle's Kennedy High School hit 7 of 12 shots from the field and converted all 11 of his free throws. His previous game-high totals were 22 points and nine rebounds.
 
Falcons Fast Facts
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 ... While the top-two point producers from last season, 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 Hutsen ... Sophomore center Joe Rasmussen's father Blair had a eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta.
 
Stellar Shooters
The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank No. 7 nationally in field goal accuracy at 53.1 percent. Seven SPU players are shooting at or above the 50-percent plateau, including the top-five scorers. Senior Matt Borton leads the way, shooting 68.7 percent overall from the field and 79.6% on shots inside the 3-point arc (39 of 49). The Falcons have a 6-0 record when posting a higher field goal percentage than their opponents.
 
Scouting Dixie State (4-3)
> Located in St. George, Utah, Dixie State is a member of the Pacific West Conference.
 
> The Red Storm have alternated wins and losses every game this season. That's good news for SPU, as Dixie defeated Fresno Pacific 88-77 in its last outing.
 
> Senior center Zach Robbins leads DSU with 16.7-point and 9.6-rebound averages.
 
> SPU owns a slim 4-3 series lead despite dropping a 90-88 overtime decision to the Red Storm in the most recent meeting, on Nov. 16, 2013 in Seattle.
 
> The teams twice met in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Falcons were 70-68 victors on March 9, 2012 in Bellingham and Dixie won 75-73 on March 12, 2011 in Ellensburg, Wash.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 2-3 record against the Red Storm.
 
Scouting Rollins (4-4)
> The Tars (slang for a "sailor") hail from Winter Park, Florida. They are NCAA Division II competitors and members of the Sunshine State Conference.
 
> Junior guard Alex Blessig leads Rollins in scoring (14.0), assists (28) and steals (18).
 
> This is only the second encounter between these teams. They met on Dec. 16, 2006 at the High Desert Classic in Las Vegas and Rollins won 88-75.
 
Defending Champs
Last season, SPU 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.

 

Famous Uncle
Senior guard Riley Stockton is the nephew of NBA Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, who compiled a record 15,806 assists during his 19-season career with the Utah Jazz (1984-2003). Riley was an honorable mention All-GNAC 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 125-37 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 220-92 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.