Box Score

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CHICO, Calif. – Seattle Pacific has begun the holiday season in anything but a giving mood as the 23rd-ranked Falcons' stingy defense was the difference in both games at the Mac Martin Invitational.

 

Senior forward Mitch Penner scored 16 of his season-high 24 points during the second half, and SPU kept Cal State East Bay below 50 points for the first 39 minutes on the way to Saturday night's 71-57 victory in Acker Gymnasium.
 
It was the fifth straight win for the Falcons (5-1) going into Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. That portion of the schedule opens on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. in Burnaby, B.C., against Simon Fraser. SPU was picked in the preseason coaches poll and the Clan 11th.

After shackling host and No. 8-ranked Chico State in Friday's 62-50 victory, Seattle Pacific put the Pioneers on ice. East Bay hit just 34 percent from the floor (22 of 63) and finished 16 points under its season scoring average.
 
Penner shot just 6 of 15 from the floor but sank 11 of 14 free throws and collected seven rebounds. During a stretch early in the second half, he scored 10 consecutive points for SPU.

 

Freshman forward Nathan Streufert paced a sizzling performance by the top SPU reserves. Streufert (Richland, Wash. / Richland HS) struck for a career-high 14 points, going 5 of 7 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Sam Simpson (Boise, Ida.) added nine points as the bench outscored its East Bay counterparts, 26-17.
 
When the Pioneers came within 40-33, Penner responded by scoring the game's next five points. Streufert followed with a jumper from distance, restoring the lead to 48-33 with 13:52 left. A rebound put-back and free throw by Streufert gave the Falcons their largest advantage at 57-40 with 4:29 to go. Cal State East Bay got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
 
Seattle Pacific's final 15 points of the night came from the free throw line, where it was a solid 26 of 32. Bryce Leavitt (Kennewick, Wash. / Kennewick HS), who finished with 11 points, seven boards and five assists, was 6 for 8 at the stripe.
 
The Falcons began to break open the game midway through the first half with a barrage of 3-pointers combined with East Bay blunders.
 
After not connecting on a single trey against Chico State on Friday night (0 for 8), SPU buried four consecutive treys during an 18-2 blitz for a 29-15 lead. Streufert, Gabe Colosimo and Simpson came off the bench to hit from beyond the arc, and Leavitt had the other.
 
During that time, the Pioneers were committing six turnovers and missing five straight from the field, including two lay-ups.
 
A Streufert transition bucket produced the widest first-half margin at 35-19. He and Penner went into intermission with eight points apiece. SPU shot 52 percent (12 of 23) from the floor to Cal State's 41 percent and 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Alex Carmon led East Bay with 15 points, including back-to-back baskets that helped trim Seattle Pacific's lead to 40-33. But he missed 12 of 17 from the floor. The Pioneers made just 1 of 14 from downtown.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Mac Martin Invitational
Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015
Acker Gymnasium / Chico, Calif.
 
Seattle Pacific 71, Cal State East Bay 57
 
CAL STATE EAST BAY (2-3)
Ryan Okwudibonye 4-6 3-3 11, Alex Carmon 5-17 5-7 15, Jalen Richard 2-12 2-3 6, Alex Manu 2-6 0-2 4, Jack Pasquini 2-7 0-0 4, Jordan Balser 0-2 2-2 2, Pierre Carter 5-12 0-0 10, Paramvir Singh 1-1 0-0 3, Robert Garrett 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-63 12-17 57.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (5-1)
Bryce Leavitt 2-5 6-8 11, Will Parker 1-6 2-2 4, Gilles Dirickx 2-4 2-2 6, Mitch Penner 6-15 11-14 24, Garrett Swanson 0-2 0-0 0, Coleman Wooter 0-0 0-0 0, Sam Simpson 2-4 3-4 9, Kevin Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Joe Rasmussen 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Colosimo 1-1 0-0 3, Nathan Streufert 5-7 2-2 14. Totals 19-44 26-32 71.


Seattle Pacific                35        36       -- 71
Cal State East Bay        23        34       -- 57

3-point goals – SPU 7-17 (Streufert 2-2, Simpson 2-4, Penner 1-1, Colosimo 1-1, Leavitt 1-3, Parker 0-5, Swanson 0-1, CSEB 1-14 (Singh 1-1, Carter 0-4, Pasquini 0-3, Carmon 0-2, Richard 0-2, Manu 0-2). Fouled out – CSEB: Pasquini. Rebounds – SPU 36 (Leavitt 7, Penner 7), CSEB 35 (Pasquini 10). Assists – SPU 13 (Leavitt 5), CSEB 10 (Richard 4, Manu 4). Turnovers – SPU 18, CSEB 13. Total fouls – SPU 23, CSEB 27.  Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 247.

 
Next SPU Men's Basketball Game
Seattle Pacific at Simon Fraser
Thursday, Dec. 3, 5:15 p.m.
West Gym / Burnaby, B.C.