• Complete Release (pdf)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 –
Seattle Pacific at Western Washington, 9:00 p.m. PST
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash. -- ROOT SPORTS TV
• Webcast & LiveStats: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
Seattle Pacific seeks to replicate a rare feat on Saturday -- to win in Bellingham. The first-place Falcons (12-3, 4-1 GNAC) bring a six-game winning streak into their late night men's basketball clash at Western Washington (8-6, 1-3). The Northwest rivals square off at 9 p.m. in a game that will be televised live on ROOT SPORTS. SPU won the last three meetings with the Vikings, including a 76-60 victory on Jan. 15, 2014 in its last visit to Carver Gymnasium that halted WWU's 36-game home winning streak. That was Western's only loss in its last 48 home games. Next week, the Falcons return home to host Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 17 at 5:15 p.m.
 
Time Change for TV
Please note that the start time for Saturday's (Jan. 10) game at Western Washington was recently changed to 9 p.m. to accommodate a live ROOT SPORTS television broadcast. Brad Adam and Dave Harshman will call the action from Bellingham. 
 
Pacific Northwest Powers
Saturday's encounter is a rematch of the last two GNAC Tournament championship games. The Falcons beat WWU 72-70 in 2013 on a last-second 3-pointer by Jobi Wall. They repeated with a 65-62 decision last season. These teams met in two consecutive NCAA West Regional championship games, with the Vikings advancing to the Elite Eight both years (2012 & 2013). Western won the 2012 national championship. The SPU men have an impressive postseason pedigree. They participated in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, the longest current playoff streak among Division II competitors. The Falcons advanced to the Final Four in 2000 and 2006.
 
Something's Gotta Give
Saturday's matchup features a stark contrast in styles. The GNAC's second-highest scoring team, Western Washington averages nearly 21 points more (84.4) than the Seattle Pacific defense allows (63.5). The Falcons rank No. 26 nationally in scoring defense with the highest opponent total being an 87-point performance by BYU-Hawaii on Nov. 22. Both teams rank among the national leaders in scoring differential. SPU is sixth at plus-20.5 and the Vikings are 40th at plus-12.4.

 

Thursday Recap
Mitch Penner and Matt Borton both registered double-doubles for Seattle Pacific, which held Simon Fraser 43 under its national-leading 124-point scoring average in a 115-81 win on Thursday in Burnaby, B.C. Entering the contest the SPU defense was surrendering just 62.3 points, half of what prolific Simon Fraser was producing. That defense limited the Clan to a season-low total and kept them under the 100-point plateau for only the third time this season. Penner pitched in a career-high 31 points and 11 rebounds, while also distributing seven assists. Borton compiled 16 of his 21 points during the first half. He grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds to spark SPU's 53-17 domination of the glass. The Falcons shot 61 percent (41-72) and created 30 layups.
 
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 26th on SPU's scoring list with 1,072 points. He needs 13 to surpass No. 25 Brandon Larrieu (2006-10) who compiled 1,084 points. Hutsen leads SPU with a 16.1-point scoring output that includes seven 20-point performances.
 
Falcons Fast Facts
SPU recorded three 100-point games for the first time since the 2006 season. The last time the Falcons hit the century mark more often was in 2000 with five 100-point games ... 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 Washington (8-6, 1-3 GNAC)
> The Vikings defeated Montana State Billings 88-68 at home on Thursday as Joey Schreiber erupted for 38 points.
 
> WWU has been nearly unbeatable at home winning 47 of 48 contests, including its last 11. The lone loss (76-60) came nearly a year ago (on Jan. 15) to Seattle Pacific.
 
> Western averages 84.4 points to rank second in the league in that category. Jaamon Echols tops the team with 19.2 points per game while Ricardo Maxwell chips in 15.5 and Jeffrey Parker 15.1.
 
> The Falcons own an 80-50 series advantage, including wins in the last three meetings. They beat WWU 65-62 in the 2014 GNAC Tournament title game following a 91-88 win on Feb. 15 in Seattle and a 76-60 decision on Jan. 15 in Bellingham.
 
> WWU is coached for the third season by Tony Dominguez, who served as an assistant coach on the staff for 17 years. He replaced 27-year coach Brad Jackson who is now an assistant at Washington. Dominguez is 3-4 versus Seattle Pacific.
 
> In his sixth season at SPU, Ryan Looney has an 8-6 record against the Vikings.
 
Straight Shooters
The Falcons rank No. 2 nationally in field goal accuracy at 53.6 percent. That figure includes a 41.4-percent mark on 3-pointers that is the GNAC's best. SPU reached the 50-percent mark in nine of its 15 games and outshot opponents on 11 occasions, winning them all. Nine SPU players are shooting at or above the 50-percent plateau led by senior Matt Borton at 61.7 percent overall from the field, including 72.5% on shots inside the 3-point arc (50 of 69).
 
Prolific Passer
Senior guard Riley Stockton has distributed 385 assists during his career, a figure that ranks him No. 10 among all-time SPU playmakers. He needs four assists to eclipse the total of 388 compiled by Rob Diedrichs (2007-10) and move into the No. 9 spot. Stockton posted two 100-assist seasons, in 2013 (113) and 2014 (125).

 

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 130-37 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 225-92 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.