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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 –
Western Washington at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST -- WHITEOUT
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 –
Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific, 4:00 p.m. PST -- HOMECOMING
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
• Webcast for both games: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats for both games: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
 
It's Homecoming Week at Seattle Pacific, which is fitting for the Falcons, who play five of their final seven regular-season men's basketball games at Brougham Pavilion. SPU (16-5, 8-3 GNAC) entertains Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Western Washington (11-10, 4-7) on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. The Falcons seek to avenge a heartbreaking 68-66 loss on Jan. 10 in Bellingham that Western won on a buzzer-beating layup by Ricardo Maxwell. SPU's Homecoming doubleheader follows on Saturday, Feb. 7 with a 4 p.m. tip-off against Simon Fraser (8-11, 3-8) after a 2 p.m. women's game. The Clan have not won in 13 all-time meetings with SPU. The Falcons embark on their final road trip next week, visiting Alaska to play at Fairbanks on Feb. 12 and Anchorage on Feb. 14.
  
Whiteout Western
All Falcons fans are encouraged to wear white to Thursday's game. Free "White Out Western" t-shirts will be given to the first 200 students as well as the first 100 purchasers of reserved tickets. Call the Falcon Ticket Office today to get your seats:  206-281-2855.

Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU basketball games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour before tip-off. Reserved seats for Thursday's (Feb. 5) game are $12 and they are $9 for Saturday's (Feb. 7) Homecoming doubleheader. For all games, general admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens.
 
Falcons Fast Fact
Senior Riley Stockton has logged 3,662 career minutes and needs six more to replace David Downs (3,667 from 2010-14) as the Falcon who has been on the court more than any player in the 71-year history of Seattle Pacific men's basketball.
 


Pacific Northwest Powers
Thursday'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 contrast in styles. The nation's highest scoring team, Simon Fraser averages 47.4 more points (110.5) than SPU's defense allows (63.1). The Falcons rank 19th nationally in scoring defense with the highest opponent total being 94 points in double overtime by Western Oregon on Jan. 31. The last opponent to score 100-points versus SPU was Alaska Fairbanks in a 113-105 overtime win on March 4, 2010. SPU ranks No. 7 nationally in scoring differential at plus-18.0. SPU has 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 outings.
 
Recapping Last Week
Shawn Reid came off the bench to score 23 points in 20 minutes for SPU, which cruised to an 84-52 victory at Saint Martin's (Jan. 29). He hit 8 of 12 shots from the field and nailed 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range. Andy Avgi amassed 33 points for 24th-ranked Western Oregon, which got a 94-84 double-overtime home win over SPU (Jan. 31). WOU's Devon Alexander forced the initial overtime with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.  Mitch Penner, who led SPU with 19 points, sent the game into a second overtime, converting the second of two free throws with 25.3 left in the first overtime.
 
Scouting Simon Fraser (8-11, 3-8 GNAC)
> Located in Burnaby, B.C., Simon Fraser became the first college from outside the United States to join the NCAA and the GNAC in 2010-11.
 
> The Clan score at a national-leading 110.5-point clip, but have been held under 100 points in the last five games.
 
> Sango Niang leads the GNAC with 23.5 points per game.
 
> The Falcons won all 13 previous meetings vs. Simon Fraser, including a 115-81 decision on Jan. 8 in Burnaby.
 
> In his sixth season at SPU, Ryan Looney has a 9-0 record against the Clan.
 
Scouting Western Washington (11-10, 4-7 GNAC)
> Western averages 81.0 points to rank second in the league in that category. Jaamon Echols tops the team with 16.9 points per game while Ricardo Maxwell chips in 16.5.
 
> The Falcons own an 80-51 series advantage, but had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 68-66 loss on Jan. 10 in Bellingham. Richardo Maxwell dribbled the length of the floor and scored the game-winner on a layup at the buzzer after SPU's Mitch Penner had tied the game on two free throws with 3.7 seconds left. SPU beat Western in the last two GNAC Tournament championship games, winning 65-62 in 2014 and 72-70 in 2013.
 
> 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 4-4 versus Seattle Pacific.
 
> In his sixth season at SPU, Ryan Looney has an 8-7 record against the Vikings.
 
On the Rebound
The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank second nationally in rebound margin, grabbing an average of 13.2 more rebounds per game than their opponents. On Jan. 8, SPU collected a remarkable 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 have been outrebound just once this season, on Nov. 22 at BYU-Hawaii (25-27).
 
Straight Shooters
The Falcons rank No. 4 nationally in field goal accuracy at 52.1 percent. That figure includes a 40.8-percent mark on 3-pointers that is the GNAC's best. SPU reached the 50-percent mark in 11 of its 21 games and outshot opponents on 15 occasions, winning them all. Seven SPU players are shooting at or above the 50-percent plateau led by senior Riley Stockton at 56.6% (82 of 145).
 
Hutsen Joins 1,000-Point Club
Cory Hutsen scored his 1,000th career point on Dec. 12, becoming the 34th player in SPU history to reach that milestone. The 6-foot-8 senior center currently ranks 21st on SPU's scoring list with 1,141 points. He needs seven more to take over the No. 18 spot from Jason Chivers (2002-05), who compiled 1,147 points. Hutsen leads SPU with a 14.8-point scoring output that includes seven 20-point performances.

 

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.
 
Prolific Passer
Senior guard Riley Stockton has distributed 404 assists during his career, a figure that ranks him No. 9 among all-time SPU playmakers. He needs 30 assists to eclipse the total of 433 compiled by Brannon Stone (1991-2002) and take over the No. 8 spot. Stockton posted two 100-assist seasons, in 2013 (113) and 2014 (125).
 
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.
 
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 134-39 record at SPU, including a 26-6 mark last year. SPU won both the 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 and advanced to the West Region championship game for the second straight season. 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 229-94 career record, including a 95-55 ledger in five seasons with Eastern Oregon.