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Mac Martin Invitational • Acker Gym • Chico, Calif.
• Webcast for all games: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/chico/   
• LiveStats for all games: www.sidearmstats.com/csuchico/mbball/
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 –
(#23) Seattle Pacific at (#8) Chico State, 7:30 p.m. PST
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 –
(#8) Seattle Pacific vs. Cal State East Bay, 5:30 p.m. PST
 
For the third time in the last four seasons the Thanksgiving destination for 23rd-ranked Seattle Pacific is Chico, California for the 56th-annual Mac Martin Invitational men's basketball tournament. The Falcons (3-1) face a formidable foe on Friday, Nov. 27, clashing with host Chico State (2-0) at 7:30 p.m. in Acker Gym. The defending CCAA champion Wildcats are ranked No. 8 nationally. On Saturday, Nov. 28, the Falcons play Cal State East Bay (1-2) at 5:30 p.m. SPU won all 10 previous meetings against the Pioneers. Those games are the final tune-ups before the Falcons begin their Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule next week on the road. They visit Simon Fraser on Dec. 3 and Western Washington on Dec. 5.
 
Ranking Report
The Falcons claimed the No. 23 spot in this week's NABC national rankings after not being listed in the preseason poll. They polled as high as No. 2 last season, in the preseason poll, and were 11th in the final rankings.  The SPU men have never held a No. 1 ranking.


 
Falcons Fast Facts
Guard Bryce Leavitt was named to the Sodexo Challenge all-tournament team after scoring a career-high 21 points with eight rebounds in the final game versus Hawaii-Hilo (Nov. 21) ... Brendan Carroll's nine 3-pointers at Dixie State (Nov. 14) were one shy of the school record of 10 set by Patrick Simon on Nov. 29, 2013 ... Seniors Mitch Penner and Gilles Dierickx were named to the 14-man Preseason All-GNAC team and the defending league tournament champion Falcons were projected third by the coaches poll ... SPU led the nation in rebound margin last year, collecting 12.5 more caroms per game than opponents ...  Junior center Joe Rasmussen's father Blair had a eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta ... Gilles Dierickx, a transfer from Washington, is the first 7-foot player in Falcons history.
 
2016 Season Preview
Seattle Pacific's national-leading string of 11 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances will be tested this season. Three starters departed from last year's 24-8 squad, including four of the top-five scorers. Heading the list of returnees for seventh-year coach Ryan Looney's squad is honorable mention all-conference selection Mitch Penner. The 6-foot-5 senior forward ranked second on the team with 13.6 points per game in 2015. Also back is 6-4 senior point guard Bryce Leavitt and his 2.2 assists per game. Capable scoring reserves Brendan Carroll (6.2) and Garrett Swanson (3.6) also return along with talented red-shirt freshmen Nathan Streufert and Coleman Wooten, who are now eligible to play. Along with Dierickx, the impressive list of newcomers features two other transfers; Olivier-Paul Betu (UC Davis) and Hunter Eisenhower (Chadron State). The Falcons need to fill a void left by the departures of starters Matt Borton, Cory Hutsen and Riley Stockton. All three were All-GNAC performers last season and Stockton was a two-time Defender of the Year.
 
Scouting Chico State (2-0)
> The Wildcats won their first two games by convincing margins, beating Montana State Billings 92-66 and Dominican 96-75. They play at Academy of Art on Tuesday (Nov. 24).
 
> Chico was picked by the league's coaches to repeat as CCAA champion.
 
> The Wildcats finished with a 22-8 record last season and made their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. They were the 2014 West Region champions.
 
> Five double-digit scorers fuel the Chico attack that produces 94 points per game. Two of them are scoring at a 20-point clip, Robert Duncan (27.0 ppg) and Corey Silverstrom (20.0 ppg).
 
> The Falcons own a 12-2 series advantage despite losing the last meeting 73-70 on Nov. 30, 2013 in Chico, Calif.
 
> Seventh-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 2-1 record against the Wildcats.
 
Scouting Cal State East Bay (1-2)
> Located in Hayward, Calif. (and formerly called Cal State Hayward), Cal State East Bay is a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
 
> The Pioneers started the season with a 64-50 win over Montana State Billings before losing to California Baptist (68-84) and Point Loma (76-91).
 
> Jalen Richard is the lone double-figure scorer for CSUEB, averaging 17.7 points per game.
 
> The Falcons won all 10 previous meetings against East Bay.
 
> In his seventh season at SPU, Ryan Looney has a 2-0 record against the Pioneers.
 
Brilliant Brendan
Brendan Carroll doubled his previous career high with a 30-point performance at Dixie State (Nov. 14), leading Seattle Pacific to an 80-74 victory. The 6-foot-4 senior guard came within one of the school record for single-game 3-pointers, hitting nine of them in 12 attempts. He shot 10-for-16 overall against Dixie and added three rebounds, two steals and an assist. For the week Carroll averaged 20.5 points on 54-percent shooting (15 of 28) and hit half of his 3-pointers (9 of 18). Those figures included an 11-point effort on Friday in a 68-60 loss to Concordia (Calif.). Carroll poured in 28 points, on 10-for-18 shooting, a 98-80 exhibition loss at Division I Washington.

 

Last Week
SPU swept a pair of home games. Joe Rasmussen tallied a career-high 20 points to help the Falcons rally from an 11-point first-half deficit to beat BYU-Hawaii 84-60. SPU defeated Hawaii-Hilo (Nov. 21) 86-73 behind the career-best 21-point performance of Bryce Leavitt.
 
Straight Shooters
The Falcons rank No. 16 nationally in field goal accuracy at 52.5 percent. That figure includes a 39.5-percent mark on 3-pointers. SPU outshot all four opponents and reached the 50-percent mark in its last three outings. The Falcons fantastic shooting was on display in an 84-60 home win over BYU-Hawaii (Nov. 20) when they hit 62.5-percent of their shots (30 of 48), including 72.7-percent accuracy (16 of 22) in the first half. On Nov. 14 at Dixie State, Brendan Carroll made 9 of 12 shots from 3-point range, coming within one of the SPU single-game record of 10 treys.
 
2015 Season Review
The Falcons forged a 24-8 overall record last year and captured their third straight GNAC Tournament championship with an 81-69 victory over Western Washington. SPU posted a 13-5 record to place second in the GNAC standings. The Falcons participated in the NCAA playoffs for the 11th consecutive year and advanced to the West Region semifinals before losing a 78-77 decision against California Baptist on a last-second shot. Senior guard Riley Stockton was honored as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-league selection. Senior center Cory Hutsen was a second-team All-GNAC pick after leading the team with 15.8 points per game. Senior Matt Borton and returning forward Mitch Penner got honorable mention acclaim.
 
Three-Peat
Seattle Pacific won its third consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament championship on March 7, 2015 in Billings, Montana with an 81-68 victory over Western Washington. No other GNAC school has won more than one title. Departed senior center Cory Hutsen earned MVP honors after erupting for a tournament-record 34 points, on 15-for-23 shooting, in the title tilt.
 
On the Rebound
The Falcons led the nation in rebound margin in 2014-15, collecting an average of 12.5 more caroms per game than opponents. On Jan. 8, SPU gathered 36 more rebounds than Simon Fraser (53-17) and on Nov. 18 they limited Rollins to just 14 rebounds while hauling in 41. The Falcons were out-boarded just once last season, on Nov. 22 at BYU-Hawaii (25-27).
 
Looney's Ledger
Two-time GNAC Coach of the Year Ryan Looney begins his seventh season as the head coach of Seattle Pacific men's basketball program. Looney directed the Falcons to three consecutive GNAC Tournament championships (2012-14) and playoff berths in each of his six seasons. He has a 146-43 record at SPU, including a 24-8 mark last year. 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. In 2010, Looney became the first coach to direct the Falcons to a conference championship in his inaugural season. 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 and reached the 100-win mark faster than any previous SPU coach (130 games). Looney, 40, has a 240-97 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.
 
Postseason Pursuit
SPU is seeking its 12th straight NCAA Tournament berth. The Falcons have been postseason participants every year since 2005, the longest consecutive playoff streak in school history. The current run of 11 straight postseason berths is the longest current streak among Division II men's basketball teams. The Falcons advanced to the national semifinals in both 2000 and 2006, placing third both times.
 
Next Week
The Falcons start conference play on the road next week, visiting Simon Fraser on Dec. 3 at 5:15 p.m. and Western Washington on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.