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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 –
Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene, 6:30 p.m. PST (7:30 MST)
Johnson Sports Center / Nampa, Idaho
 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 –
Seattle Pacific at Central Washington, 7:30 p.m. PST
Nicholson Pavilion / Ellensburg, Wash.
 
• Webcast & LiveStats for both road games:  http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 –
George Fox at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
• Webcast: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
 
The Seattle Pacific men (5-2) begin defense of their Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball championship on the road this week, starting on Thursday, Dec. 4 at Northwest Nazarene (1-6). Tip-off is 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Mountain) at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa, Idaho. SPU won 12 of the last 13 encounters with the Crusaders. On Saturday, Dec. 6 the Falcons make their annual visit to Ellensburg to clash with Central Washington (3-2) at 7:30 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion. SPU won the last five meetings against the Wildcats. After the pair of GNAC road games, the Falcons complete their non-conference schedule in the following three games. George Fox (2-3) visits Brougham Pavilion on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. for the lone SPU home game during the month of December. SPU owns an 11-game winning streak versus the Bruins.
 
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.
 
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.
 


Falcons Fast Facts
Senior Matt Borton is shooting 70.7 percent overall from the field and 86.2% on shots inside the 3-point arc (25 of 29) ... 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 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 starting forward Garrett Swanson, a transfer from Casper (Wyo.) College.
 
Recapping Last Week
The Falcons posted a 3-1 record during a hectic six-day stretch in Hawaii. A fifth game, set for Nov. 25, was cancelled due to travel problems by Washburn. Riley Stockton's career-high 22 points led a 61-49 victory over Hawaii Pacific in the opener. Cory Hutsten topped the team with 20-point performances in the next three games, including an 87-74 loss at BYU-Hawaii and 84-74 win at UH Hilo. The program's largest margin of victory and seventh highest point total came in a 119-53 win over Northwest Indian College.
 
Scouting Northwest Nazarene (1-6)
> The Crusaders, from Nampa, Idaho, lost their last five games after beating Notre Dame de Namur 87-71 on Nov. 15.
 
> Junior guard Erik Kinney leads NNU with 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
 
> The Falcons lead the series 52-22, including wins in six straight and 16 of the last 18 meetings. They were 73-54 victors at home in last season's GNAC opener and beat NNU 74-60 in Nampa.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney is 9-1 versus the Crusaders.
 
Scouting Central Washington (3-2)
> The Wildcats and SPU have four common opponents, each posting a 2-2 record against them. Both defeated Minnesota Crookston and lost to BYU-Hawaii. Central beat Academy of Art and lost to Hawaii Pacific while the Falcons had the opposite results.
 
> The CWU offense is led by a trio of double-figure scorers in Gary Jacobs (12.0 ppg), Joseph Stroud (11.6) and Jordan Russell (10.6).
 
> Central leads the all-time series 71-50 despite losing eight of the last nine meetings. SPU won the last five contests, including an 80-67 decision last season in Seattle and 91-59 victory in Ellensburg.
 
> In his sixth season at SPU, Ryan Looney has a 9-4 record against the Wildcats.
 
Scouting George Fox (2-3)
> The Bruins hail from Newberg, Oregon and are NCAA Division III competitors and members of the Northwest Conference.
 
> Senior guard Jonny Howard leads the GFU attack with 22.2 points per game.
 
> This is the first meeting between these teams since SPU beat the Bruins 89-81 on Jan. 15, 1991 in Newberg. The Falcons own a 12-1 series lead and won the last 11 games.

 

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 123-36 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 218-91 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.