THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, February 20      Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Marcus Pavilion / Lacey, Wash.
                                                Live stats        Live Webcast
 
Saturday, February 22      Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon, 2:00 p.m.
                                                New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.
                                                Live stats        Live Webcast
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – Doesn't matter who the opponent is, or where the venue is.
 
The final four games of the regular-season are all must-win for the Seattle Pacific Falcons.
 
Still in contention for second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and a first-round bye in the GNAC Tournament, the Falcons take to the road this week for the final time before postseason play begins. SPU will visit Saint Martin's on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., then head to Monmouth for Saturday's 2 p.m. tip-off against Western Oregon.
 
The Falcons and Saints are deadlocked for fifth place at 8-6 heading into their Thursday night showdown. Neither is likely to catch front-running Montana State Billings, which is four games ahead of them at 12-2 with four games left. But both are just 1 ½ games out of second place, currently shared by Simon Fraser and Western Washington (11-4).
 
Seattle Pacific's 'magic number' to clinch a GNAC spot is two, meaning two Falcon victories, or one win and one Northwest Nazarene loss will put the Falcons into the tourney.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Live stats and a free live Webcast will be available from this week's games, and for all GNAC contests through the rest of the regular season. The Webcasts are through Stretch Internet, the conference's official video streaming provider. Appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
FALCONS IN THICK OF REGIONAL MIX
Seattle Pacific is at No. 4 in the first NCAA West Region rankings of the season, which were released on Wednesday afternoon.
               
The Falcons are one of three GNAC teams among the top four. Montana State Billings is currently No. 1, and if that holds through the next two sets of rankings and the conference tournament, the Yellowjackets would be the host school. Simon Fraser is No. 2, and Cal Poly Pomona of the CCAA is ranked No. 3.
 
The only Pacific West team on the 10-school list is Academy of Art at No. 10.
 
The three conference tournament champions earn automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. The rest of the eight-team regional field will be filled out by the five highest-ranked teams among the non-champions. The second of the three sets of rankings will be released next Wednesday.
 




SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- SPU has a chance to sweep both series. The Falcons beat Western Oregon on Jan. 23 in Seattle, 72-56, and two nights later downed Saint Martin's 78-68.
-- If the Falcons win both games this weekend, they would match their win total from the past two seasons (17-11 last year; 17-10 in 2011-12).
-- The Falcons had what amounted to a 32-point turnaround in just short of 23 minutes last month against the Saints. They were down 28-14 with 8:22 left in the first half, but stormed back to build an 18-point lead with 5:36 to go in the game.
-- SPU's reserves had by far their best collective outing of the season against Western Oregon, contributing 35 points and 13 rebounds. Riley Butler and Brianna Lasconia each had 11 points apiece off the bench.
-- Saturday's game in Monmouth will match the GNAC's Nos. 2 and 3 scorers (SPU's Katie Benson at 20.0, WOU's Dana Goularte at 17.8) and Nos. 2 and 3 rebounders (Benson 9.1, Goularte 8.6). Last month in Seattle, Benson had 16 points and 14 boards – the most recent of her seven season double-doubles – while Goularte poured in 27 points and grabbed five rebounds.
-- If Falcons junior Suzanna Ohlsen hits her first free throw this week, wherever it might be, she will be at exactly 90 percent for the season. She comes in at 89.9 (62 of 69), and has drained 27 in a row.
-- Katie Benson had back-to-back 20-point games last week (20 vs. Central Washington, 25 vs. Northwest Nazarene), the third time this season she has done that. She has not yet had three in a row.
-- Coach Julie Heisey is 16-2 all-time against Saint Martin's and coach Tim Healy.
-- Heisey's record against Western Oregon is 17-1. It will be just her second game against first-year Wolves coach Holli Howard-Carpenter. Her only loss was two years ago in Monmouth, 79-74.
 
SCOUTING THE SAINT MARTIN'S SAINTS: 14-9, 8-6 GNAC (tie 5th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 48-13. Current series streak: SPU won 2. Last time: SPU 78, Saint Martin's 68 (Jan. 25, 2014 at Seattle). Saints on the Web.
Saints in a nutshell: Last week was a tough one for Saint Martin's, with road losses at Western Washington (69-52) and Simon Fraser (70-59). But on their home court in Marcus Pavilion, the Saints have been very strong, posting a 9-1 record that includes victories against Northwest Nazarene, Simon Fraser and Alaska Anchorage. Saint Martin's has been for most of the season and still remains the toughest defensive team in the GNAC, allowing just 61.6 points per game. Opponents have a harder time shooting against the Saints (.366) than against any other team in the conference. Chelsea Haskey leads the team at 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds, and Angela Gelhar averages 10.9 points. Krista Stabler often provides a spark off the bench (she had 21 at SPU in January), and Megan Wiedeman, usually in a reserve role, is the Saints' second-leading rebounder at 5.8 per game.
 
SCOUTING THE WESTERN OREGON WOLVES: 6-16, 3-11 GNAC (tie 8^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 34-3. Current series streak: SPU won 3. Last time: SPU 72, WOU 56 (Jan. 23, 2014 at Seattle). Wolves on the Web.
Wolves in a nutshell: Western Oregon has lost three straight and eight of its last nine. Of its six victories, five have come at home in the New P.E. Building, including a 62-51 decision against Alaska Fairbanks that was the lone 'W' in the current nine-game stretch. Junior forward Dana Goularte continues to set the WOU's pace in scoring (17.8) and rebounding (8.6), both of which rank No. 3 in the GNAC. She went off for 27 points last month at SPU, getting 19 of those after halftime. She has been the Wolves' top scorer in 17 of the 22 games (tying Chantel Divilbiss in one game), their top rebounder in 13 games (sharing the lead in three others) and has seven double-doubles. Divilbiss is the only other player averaging in double figures at 11.3 points per game. Melissa Fowler, Jordan Mottershaw, and Kelsey Henry also have shown they can light up the board.
 
COACH JULIE HEISEY SAYS …
(On Saint Martin's)
"They're good basketball players, every one of them. They're really good passers. They can hit shots from a lot of different places. Like a lot of teams we play against, they are very difficult to guard. There's so much movement in their offense, and their posts are in and out. We have a big challenge. We were down by 14 here and had to come back and win. We're going to have our hands full."
 
(On Western Oregon)
"Western Oregon is a team that can beat you. Dana Goularte is very, very good. Chantel Divilbiss is a good shooter and a smart player. At this stage of the game, every game matters, and every possession matters. You can't take anything lightly."
 
(On being ranked No. 4 in the West Region)
Our kids have worked really hard. We had two losses at Christmas going into conference, and we play in a tough conference. Sometimes, when you're in the midst of conference, it's easy to forget your whole body of work. No doubt our kids are super-excited about this ranking. It gives us a report care of where we're at. We've got to finish strong and we have to take care of business, but at least we know we're in the mix. That's a great starting point. It's recognition of what we've done since November, and that's a big deal."
 
FALCONS REPLAY
-- Katie Benson poured in 20 points, 14 of those during the first half, and Suzanna Ohlsen added 13, all in the second half, leading SPU past Central Washington last Thursday in Brougham Pavilion, 68-47.
-- Benson scored 25 points on Saturday night, and Ohlsen added 16, but Northwest Nazarene, behind 20 points from Megan Hingston, stopped a Falcon rally short to escape with a 75-67 victory.
                               
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
SPU did not record any double-doubles last week.  Katie Benson has seven so far this season, and is the only Falcon with a double-double this winter or in her collegiate career.
2013-14 double-doubles:
Katie Benson (7 season, 17 career): 20 pts-10 reb vs. Humboldt State, Nov. 8; 20 pts-17 reb vs. Point Loma Nazarene, Nov. 16; 31 pts-14 reb at Azusa Pacific, Nov. 23; 26 pts-12 reb at Alaska Anchorage, Dec. 7; 19 pts-14 reb vs. South Dakota Mines, Dec. 19; 18 pts-10 reb vs. Montana State Billings, Jan. 11; 16 pts-14 reb vs. Western Oregon, Jan. 23.
 
WHY STOP AT ONE? RODRIGUES DIDN'T
Although the Falcons' furious rally fell a few points short last Saturday against Northwest Nazarene, freshman Hannah Rodrigues was doing everything she could to keep it going.
 
Rodrigues (Eugene, Ore.), a regular starter since mid-November in place of injured Aubree Callen, set career highs in two of the major stat categories. She pulled down seven rebounds and dished six assists. Her previous high for boards was six, which she had reached six times, most recently on Feb. 8 at Montana State Billings. Her old mark for assists was five, on Nov. 23 at Azusa Pacific.
 
BENSON IS MOVIN' ON UP
With her 45 total points last week – 20 against Central Washington, 25 against Northwest Nazarene – senior forward Katie Benson (Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS) is now No. 6 on SPU's all-time scoring list, and No. 5 on the GNAC list.
 
On the Seattle Pacific side, Benson, now with 1,563 points, passed Linnea Jarvits, who scored 1,544 from 1993-96. She starts this week 43 points away from No. 5 Lori Robinett (1,606 from 1986-89).
 
On the GNAC side, Benson moved ahead of Leada Berkey of Western Oregon. Berkey tallied 1,558 from 2004-08. The next target is No. 4 all-time scorer is Nicole Lynch of former member Humboldt State (1,623 from 2001-05).
 
SENIOR NIGHT IS COMING
The Falcons will play their final two home games of the season next week against Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday. The Fairbanks contest will be Senior Night. Mechela Barnes, Katie Benson, and Riley Butler will be honored in a brief ceremony before the game. It will take place at approximately 6:45 p.m. Tip-off is set for 7.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
-- Katie Benson 22^nd in NCAA D2 scoring (20.0).
-- Suzanna Ohlsen 14^th in free throw shooting (.899).
-- SPU 15^th in blocked shots (4.8), 19^th in free throw shooting (.763).
 
Click on this link to see how the Falcons and other GNAC teams and players stack up nationally.
 
TRACKING THOSE GNAC TOP 10s
-- Katie Benson 2^nd scoring (20.0), 2^nd rebounding (9.1), 5^th field goal shooting (.509), 5^th blocked shots (1.6), tie 7^th steals (1.9).
-- Betsy Kingma tie 3^rd assist / turnover ratio (1.7), 4^th 3-pointers made (2.0), 9^th minutes played (30.3).
-- Suzanna Ohlsen 2^nd free throw percentage (.899), tie 3^rd steals (2.0), tie 5^th assists (3.9), tie 5^th minutes played (31.7), tie 10^th assist / turnover ratio (1.3).
-- Maddey Pflaumer tie 10^th blocked shots (0.9).
 
Click on this link for a complete look at GNAC statistical leaders.
 
PLAYOFF PRATTLINGS
In spite of last Saturday's 75-67 loss to Northwest Nazarene, the Falcons are still 2 ½ games ahead of the Crusaders for the final spot in the GNAC Tournament.

Seattle Pacific's 'magic number' is two more victories, or one win and one NNU loss to seal the deal. The Crusaders have just one game this week, playing host to Central Washington on Saturday. They are the only team outside the current top six still in contention for a tournament spot. Alaska Fairbanks, Western Oregon, and Central Washington have been eliminated.
 
While first place is still mathematically possible, SPU is four games behind Montana State Billings with four to go. Still very much within reach is second place, and that's key, because the top two teams in the final standings get a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

The tournement is March 5, 7, and 8 at Saint Martin's. Ticket information is available on this link.

AROUND THE WEST REGION 
Cal Poly Pomona (18-4, 15-3 CCAA), which has been pulling away in the CCAA, suffered a 15-point upset loss to middle-of-the-pack San Francisco State last Saturday, but still has a three-game lead. That's because the Nos. 2 through 5 teams beat up on each other last week. Cal State Dominguez Hills (16-6), Chico State (16-6) and Cal State Los Angeles (15-7) are all tied for second at 12-6. Dominguez Hills and L.A. both visit Pomona this week.
 
Academy of Art, now on a nine-game winning streak, has opened a two-game lead in the Pacific West. The Urban Knights are 19-6 overall, 16-1 in the conference. The next-best record among tournament-eligible teams is Hawaii Pacific at 14-9.
 
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
100^th point             Hannah Rodrigues (has 91)
100^th rebound       Hannah Rodrigues (has 85)
200^th point             Riley Butler (has 182)
200^th rebound      Maddey Pflaumer (has 183)
                                Suzanna Ohlsen (has 180)
               
MILESTONES MADE LAST WEEK
100^th block            Katie Benson (has 103)
200^th point             Maddey Pflaumer (has 207)
700^th rebound       Katie Benson (has 712)
800^th point             Suzanna Ohlsen (has 805)
 
POLLING PLACE
The Falcons are still receiving votes in this week's USA Today Sports / WBCA national poll that was released on Tuesday. Seattle Pacific picked up 7 points, tying with four other schools for 37th. Conference stablemate Montana State Billings cracked the top 25, moving in at the No. 25 spot.
               
Cal Poly Pomona once again is the only other West Region team in the top 25, falling three places to No. 17. Unbeaten Bentley of Massachusetts (23-0) and Colorado Mesa (23-0) are 1-2.
 
AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for results, stats, news, and notes from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
 
UP NEXT
The regular season winds up next week in Brougham Pavilion when Alaska Anchorage comes in on Thursday, followed by Alaska Fairbanks on Senior Night Saturday, both at 7 p.m. The Falcons opened the GNAC season against those teams in the first week of December, beating the Nanooks, 71-68, but falling to the Seawolves at UAA, 77-65.
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                GNAC                    Overall
Montana State Billings       12-2                         20-5
Simon Fraser                       11-4                         16-6
Western Washington          11-4                         15-8
Alaska Anchorage                 9-5                          16-6
Seattle Pacific                        8-6                          15-7
Saint Martin's                          8-6                         14-9
Northwest Nazarene             6-9                         13-10
Alaska Fairbanks                  3-11                         9-13
Western Oregon                    3-11                         6-16
Central Washington             1-14                         6-18