THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Jan. 22                Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon, 7:00 p.m.
                                                  New P.E. Building / Monmouh, Ore.               
                                                  Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Saturday, Jan. 24                Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's, 7:00 p.m.
                                                 Marcus Pavilion / Lacey, Wash.
                                                 Live Webcast        Live stats
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
        Check out these Andrew Towell photo galleries below:
            -- SPU vs. Northwest Nazarene (Jan. 15)
            -- SPU vs. Central Washington (Jan. 17) 

SEATTLE – Just like that, the Seattle Pacific Falcons are almost halfway through their Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball schedule.
 
Soaring along on an eight-game winning streak, No. 8-ranked SPU is on the road to conclude its first swing through conference competition, visiting Western Oregon on Thursday in Monmouth and Saint Martin's on Saturday in Lacey.
 
Both games tip off at 7:00 p.m.
 
The Falcons (14-1, 6-1 GNAC) opened conference play with a victory at home against Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 4. They'd like to end the first half of the double round-robin with victories in two venues where nothing is ever easy. Last year, Seattle Pacific got all it could handle from both hosts before finally pulling away late for a 54-44 win in Lacey's Marcus Pavilion, and a 76-64 decision in Monmouth's New P.E. Building.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Live stats and free live Webcasts will be available from the two games. Both will be through Stretch Internet, the official Internet provider of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
LOOK WHO'S BACK IN THE TOP 10
For the first time since December 2013, the Falcons are among the elite of the elite, climbing four places to No. 8 in this week's USA Today Sports / WBCA national poll. Seattle Pacific received 478 points in the voting. Undefeated Lewis of Illinois (17-0) is a unanimous No. 1. Alaska Anchorage is No. 3, and Humboldt State became the third West Region to move into the top 25, checking in right at No. 25.
 
SPU's last appearance in this top 10 was Dec. 17, 2013, when it was at No. 9. The Falcons were as high as No. 6 that season, that being on Dec. 3, 2013.
 
SPU is No. 7 in this week's D2SIDA national poll, conducted by sports information directors. In the D2SIDA West Region poll, Anchorage, Seattle Pacific, and Humboldt State remain 1-2-3.





SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- SPU's eight-game winning streak is the longest since a 14-game stretch in 2009-10 that ultimately took the Falcons all the way to the NCAA Elite Eight.
-- The last Falcons team that was this good through 15 games was when head coach Julie Heisey was still known as Julie van Beek. That was in 2007-08 when SPU won its first 29 games before Alaska Anchorage spoiled it in the NCAA West Region championship game in Brougham Pavilion, winning 50-44.
-- SPU is perfect away from home this season – 3-0 in true road games, and 4-0 on neutral courts.
-- Thursday's game in Monmouth could feature three of the GNAC's top 10 scorers – No. 3 Suzanna Ohlsen (16.7 points per game) and No. 8 Aubree Callen (14.2) of the Falcons, and, if she plays, No. 5 Dana Goularte of the Wolves (16.2).
-- Goularte went off twice against Seattle Pacific last year, accounting for nearly half of her team's points (27) in a 72-56 loss at SPU, and going for another 24 in a 76-64 loss to the Falcons in Monmouth.
-- Krista Stabler, currently the leading scorer for Saint Martin's at 11 points per game, had a big night against the Falcons last season, coming off the bench for 21 points in Seattle, but SPU still won, 78-68.
-- Coach Julie Heisey is 18-1 all-time against Western Oregon and 2-0 against second-year Wolves coach Holli Howard-Carpenter.
-- Heisey is 17-2 against Saint Martin's and 19th-year coach Tim Healy.

SCOUTING THE WESTERN OREGON WOLVES: 4-11, 1-6 GNAC (tie 9^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 35-3. Current series streak: SPU won 4. Last time: SPU 76, WOU 64 (Feb. 22, 2014 at Monmouth). Wolves on the Web.
Wolves in a nutshell: The new year has not been kind to Western Oregon, comes into the week on a five-game losing streak. Dana Goularte, a 6-foot senior forward, has a double-double average of 16.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, but has been sidelined for the last four games. In her absence, three different players have picked up the slack. Sami Osborne, a 6-1 freshman forward / guard, has led the team in scoring twice and rebounding twice in those four games, including a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 74-65 loss to Alaska Fairbanks. She averages 8.4 point and 6.1 rebounds. Sophomore 5-10 guard Jordan Mottershaw delivered a team-leading 17 points against Alaska Anchorage, and her 12.3 scoring average is second-best on the team. Junior 5-10 forward Angie Titus led in scoring once (14 against Western Washington) and once on the boards (eight against Anchorage).
 
SCOUTING THE SAINT MARTIN'S SAINTS: 4-11, 1-6 GNAC (tie 9^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 49-13. Current series streak: SPU won 3. Last time: SPU 54, Saint Martin's 44 (Feb. 20, 2014 at Lacey). Saints on the Web.
Saints in a nutshell: A win against soon-to-be-GNAC member Concordia of Portland to wind up 2014, and one against Western Oregon to start 2015 got Saint Martin's going again. But the Saints head into this week looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the last two of which were at Simon Fraser (83-70) and at Western Washington (77-53) last week. Saint Martin's has just one player scoring in double figures, as 5-6 junior guard Krista Stabler averages 11 points per game. Senior forwards Brooke Paulson and Liz Mills both contribute an average of 9.3 points. One of the toughest players to contend with is 6-0 junior forward Megan Wiedeman. She averages 8.7 points and 8.7 rebounds, the latter of which is the second-best mark in the GNAC. She had 11 boards – five at the offensive end – against the Falcons last year in Lacey, although SPU won that game, 54-44. Senior 5-6 guard Angela Gelhar again is one of the best free throw shooters in the GNAC, hitting at an .895 clip (34 of 38).
 
FALCON REPLAY
-- Betsy Kingma pumped in 20 points and was one of four starters in double figures as SPU pulled away to beat Northwest Nazarene last Thursday in Brougham Pavilion, 81-65.
-- Suzanna Ohlsen, Aubree Callen, and Maddey Pflaumer combined for 47 points on 61 percent shooting from the field to help the Falcons fend off a much-improved Central Washington team last Saturday night, 67-52.
 
COACH JULIE HEISEY SAYS …

(On this week's opponents)
"They both run a lot of zone, but it's not a traditional zone. It's not stuff you see every day, and it's not stuff you can emulate in practice. So it's just trying to make sure we attack well. They're all well-coached kids who are really fundamental, and they play hard."
 
(On the contributions of SPU's reserves)
"To have a championship team, you have to have a lot of depth. It has been luxury to get a lot out of our bench. We're able to get kids off the bench, and with every sub, we don't lose anything. They come in and they know what they need to do."
 
(On being ranked in the top 10)
"I'm just proud of our kids. We still have a long ways to go and we just have to keep getting better."
 
A BENCH BUNCH DOUBLE-DOUBLE
In putting together its current eight-game winning streak, Seattle Pacific is getting some significant contributions from its reserve players. Beginning with a 79-58 romp past Northwest University on Dec. 13 and continuing through last Saturday's 67-52 victory against Central Washington, the Falcons reserves are contributing averages of 12.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
 
They're also chipping in 4.4 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.4 blocked shots.

 

Many of those contributions show up in the box scores, such as a 10-point, 6-rebound night from junior center Molly Grager (Kirkland, Wash. / Juanita HS) in a come-from-behind 70-60 victory at Montana State Billings, or a pair of seven-rebound performances from freshman guard Courtney Hollander (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden Christian HS).

 

Others are more subtle, such as solid defensive efforts and a timely basket or two when needed from sophomore guard Stacey Lukasiewicz (Centennial, Colo.), or some poised play in the backcourt from sophomore Rachel Shim (Sammamish, Wash. / Skyline HS) and freshman Jordan McPhee (Normandy Park, Wash. / Mount Rainier HS) when the Falcon starters need a breather.
 
'D' HAS BEEN KEY
Thanks in part to limiting Central Washington to just 52 points last Saturday, the Falcons have lowered their points-allowed average to an even 60 per game heading into this week. That ranks No. 46 nationally among the 289 NCAA Division II teams, and is nearly a four-point drop from last season's final average of 63.9.
 
The last SPU team to be that solid defensively was the 2010-11 squad at 57.3 points per game. That also is the last time the Falcons qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
 
So far, the Falcons have kept seven opponents below 60 points. Last year, they had nine such games all season. Only two teams have scored 70 or more again them: Humboldt State (74 in a game that went overtime) and Alaska Anchorage (85).
 
MEANWHILE, DOWN AT THE OTHER END …
Seattle Pacific is continues to shine as one of the best shooting teams in the country.
 
A total of four Falcons are shooting better than 50 percent from the field. The highest of those marks is the .559 of sophomore Stacey Lukasiewicz (19 of 34). Among the starters, senior center Maddey Pflaumer (Issaquah, Wash. / Issaquah HS) is at .546 (53 of 97).

 

From 3-point land, three players are at better than .400. Senior guard / forward Betsy Kingma (Bellevue, Wash. / Newport HS) is among the national leaders at .451 (46 of 102), a mark that ranks No. 19. Redshirt senior guard Aubree Callen (Jerome, Idaho) isn't far behind at .442 (19 of 43).
 
At the free throw line, where SPU ranks No. 4 nationally as a team (.797), half a dozen players hit better than 80 percent. That includes .875 for Pflaumer, .862 for Callen, and .821 for senior point guard Suzanna Ohlsen (Monroe, Wash. / Monroe HS).
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
SPU is (out of 289 Division II teams) …
--3^rd in 3-point percentage (.400)
--4^th in free throw percentage (.797)
--16^th in field goal percentage (.457)
--31^st in assist / turnover ratio (1.06)
--36^th in average points scored (75.4)
--41^st in assists (15.7)
--47^th in fewest turnovers per game (14.7)
 
Click on this link to see how the Falcons rank in all Division II statistics. Click on this link to see how other GNAC teams and players stack up nationally.
 
AROUND THE WEST
The top teams in the West Region last week are still the top teams in the West Region this week.
 
Seattle Pacific, Alaska Anchorage, and Humboldt State all remain with just one overall loss. The Falcons are 14-1, as is Humboldt, while UAA has a 16-1 record. SPU's only loss is to Anchorage. The 1 on Humboldt's record was an overtime defeat at Seattle Pacific, and the Seawolves' lone blemish was against Northwest Nazarene. Humboldt remains perfect in California Collegiate Athletic Association play at 10-0.
 
Hawaii Pacific remains dominant in the Pacific West Conference at 10-0 with a 15-2 overall record. The Sharks are 2 ½ games ahead of second-place Cal Baptist and Brigham Young-Hawaii. Only HPU and Cal Baptist have fewer than five overall losses.
 
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
200th rebound     Betsy Kingma (has 194)
                               Hannah Rodrigues (has 192)
300^th assist         Suzanna Ohlsen (has 283)
1,000^th point       Aubree Callen (has 923)
 
MILESTONES MADE LAST WEEK
900^th point          Aubree Callen (has 923)
 
AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for a look at scores, stats, news, and notes from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

UP NEXT           
The Falcons begin the second half of the GNAC season with a three-game homestand. Simon Fraser comes to Brougham Pavilion next Thursday, Jan. 29, followed by arch-rival Western Washington on Saturday, Jan. 31. Both games tip off at 7:00 p.m. SPU beat both opponents on the road to start 2015, winning 74-64 at Western on Jan. 1, and 61-56 at Simon on Jan. 3.
 
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                GNAC    Overall
Alaska Anchorage                 6-1        16-1
Seattle Pacific                        6-1        14-1
Western Washington            5-2        11-5
Simon Fraser                         5-2          9-6
Alaska Fairbanks                  4-3        12-5
Central Washington             4-4          9-7
Montana State Billings        2-5        10-7
Northwest Nazarene           2-6          4-13
Saint Martin's                        1-6          4-11
Western Oregon                   1-6          4-11