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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1 –
Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 –
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
• Webcast for both games: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats for both games: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
 
Seattle Pacific wastes no time ushering in the New Year. The Falcons (9-3, 1-1 GNAC) host league-leading Western Oregon (10-2, 2-0) on Thursday, Jan. 1 to open the 2015 calendar year. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Brougham Pavilion. SPU won two of three meetings last season versus the Wolves. On Saturday, Jan. 3, the Falcons entertain Saint Martin's (4-8, 1-1) at 7 p.m. They were victorious in nine of the last 10 encounters against the Saints. SPU completed non-league play with an 8-2 record, capped by pre-Christmas wins over Dixie State (76-66) and Rollins (74-54) in the Las Vegas Challenge. The remaining 16 games on the Falcons regular-season slate are all Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests, including road outings next week at Simon Fraser (Jan. 8) and Western Washington (Jan. 10). Please note that the start time for the Jan. 10 game in Bellingham has recently been changed to 9 p.m. to accommodate a live ROOT Sports television broadcast. 
 
Ticket Talk
Individual tickets for SPU basketball games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour before tip-off. Reserved seats are $8 and general admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups may qualify for special GA rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance. SPU students and staff are admitted free with i.d.


 
Player of the Week
Shawn Reid, who erupted for a career-high 30 points off the bench, was honored as the GNAC Player of the Week on Dec. 22. Reid averaged 18.0 points while shooting 71 percent from the field, leading the Falcons to a pair of victories at the Las Vegas Challenge. In just 18 minutes of action, Reid more than doubled his previous SPU high output of 13 points with the 30-point performance in a 76-66 come-from-behind win over Dixie State. He entered the game with the Falcons trailing 17-2 and his 14 first-half points helped them surge into a 34-30 lead by halftime. The 6-foot-4 forward nailed 12 of 15 shots against Dixie, including 5-for-7 accuracy from 3-point range. In a 74-54 victory over Rollins, Reid scored six points to go along with two steals. Reid transferred to SPU from Montana State prior the 2012-13 season. He sat out last year as a red-shirt.
 
Hutsen Joins 1,000-Point Club
Cory Hutsen scored his 1,000th career point on Dec. 12, becoming the 34th player in SPU men's basketball history to reach that milestone. The 6-foot-8 senior center currently ranks No. 29 on SPU's scoring list with 1,025 points. He needs 26 points to replace Stan Nybo who compiled 1,050 from 1974-77. Hutsen leads the Falcons with a 16.3-point scoring average that includes six 20-point performances.
 
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 ... Sophomore center Joe Rasmussen's father Blair had a eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta.
 
Scouting Western Oregon (10-2, 2-0 GNAC)
> The league-leading Wolves boast a GNAC best nine-game winning streak.
 
> Expect a low-scoring contest as SPU leads the GNAC by limiting opponents to just 62.0 points per game while Western Oregon is second at 63.7.
 
> Junior forward Andy Avgi scores at a 15.1-point clip to lead the Wolves.
 
> SPU leads the all-time series 39-15 and won 18 of the last 21 meetings.
 
> Western Oregon won last season's first matchup 74-70 on Jan. 2 in Monmouth. The Falcons won the rematch 79-47 on Feb. 1 in Seattle and then were 73-57 victors on Mar. 6 in a GNAC Tournament semifinal clash in Lacey, Wash.
 
> Brady Bergeson is in his fourth year as head coach of the Wolves after serving the previous three seasons as an assistant at Sacramento State. He is 2-5 against SPU.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 9-3 record against WOU. He competed against the Wolves during his playing career at Eastern Oregon.
 
Scouting Saint Martin's (4-8, 1-1 GNAC)
> The Saints are tied for fourth place in the GNAC standings with SPU after splitting a home series with the Alaska schools in early December to open league play.
 
> The backcourt tandem of Tyler Copp (10.3 ppg) and Trey Ingram (10.1) lead SMU scorers. Ingram is the team's top playmaker with 4.5 assists per game.
 
> The Falcons boast a 94-34 all-time series lead. They won 28 of the last 31 encounters.
 
> SPU had won eight straight over the Saints before losing last year's first meeting 73-69 on Jan. 4 in Lacey. The Falcons won the rematch 76-53 on Jan. 30 in Seattle.
 
> Michael Ostlund is in his second season as head coach at SMU after a five-year stint as the head man at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. He replaced Keith Cooper.
 
> Sixth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 9-1 record against the Saints.

 

Straight Shooters
The Falcons rank No. 8 nationally in field goal accuracy at 52.2 percent. That figure includes a 39.4-percent mark on 3-pointers that is the GNAC's best. SPU reached the 50-percent mark in half (6) of its 12 games and outshot opponents on eight occasions, winning them all. Seven SPU players are shooting at or above the 50-percent plateau led by senior Matt Borton at 63.0 percent overall from the field and 75.9% on shots inside the 3-point arc (41 of 54).
 
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 127-37 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 222-92 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.