Box Score    |    Final Stats

AZUSA, Calif. – Tony Miller scored 20 points and Joe Rasmussen added 18 Saturday, but it wasn't enough for the Seattle Pacific men, whose late rally fell short in an 86-79 loss to Point Loma Nazarene during the final day of the Cougar Classic basketball tournament at the Felix Event Center.
 
The Sea Lions (3-3) got the win for Ryan Looney, who was coaching against his former team for the first time. He served as the SPU head coach from 2009-16, compiling a 165-51 record and seven NCAA Division II Tournament berths before departing in May for San Diego, California-based Point Loma.
 
The Falcons (3-3) had their record evened by the third loss in their last four games. The lone win was a 73-68 result Friday night against host Azusa Pacific.
 
First-year coach Grant Leep singled out rebounding and free throw shooting as areas that occasionally lapse with his young SPU squad. They shot 16 of 31 from the line while PLNU made as many in seven fewer attempts (16 of 24).
 
"We've been in a lot of close games and in three losses this year it has come down to missed block outs and missed free throws. Until we get fully committed into those two areas, and understand the importance of how those factor into winning games, with the youth that we have on this roster and the amount of new roles for guys, it's going to be up-and-down.
 
"It's in there. They know that can do it, it's just a matter of doing it every time we play."
 
Vince Boumann netted 19 of his game-high 22 points during the first half, helping Point Loma take control of the game. The 6-foot-9 center hit 9 of 12 shots from the field and grabbed 15 rebounds to key a 37-33 edge on the boards.
 
Josh Rodriguez scored 17 points and tallied the Sea Lions' final seven points. He converted five of six free throws during the final 44 seconds to stave off SPU's late surge.
 
Will Parker scored 12 points for the Falcons, including a trio of 3-pointers during a 13-2 run the drew them within four points with 1:16 left to play.
 
"He filled a need tonight," said Leep. "We needed something to spark us. Will was the one that stepped up and just kind of sparked that for us. He's got such a great energy."
 
Point Loma led by as many as 18 points in the second half and seemed comfortably in front at 78-63 after Mike Planeta drained a 3-pointer with 5:49 remaining.
 
Parker answered with back-to-back treys and, after Rodriguez made a layup, SPU scored seven straight points. Miller capped the run by making the second of two free throws with 1:16 showing on the clock to close the gap to 80-76.
 
Rodriquez sank four straight free throws on the next two possessions to secure the Sea Lions' victory.

 

Miller (Woodinville HS), a freshman forward, added 11 rebounds to his team-leading 20 points en route to his second double-double for SPU. 
 
Olivia-Paul Betu contributed 10 points and four rebounds for the Falcons, who shot 52 percent from the field (27 of 52) while holding PLNU at 47 percent (30 of 64).
 
Tanner Lancona added 12 points and Planeta finished with 11 for the Sea Lions, who parlayed 15 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points.
 
Early in the first half, consecutive layups by Miller, Betu and Rasmussen turned an 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead for the Falcons 4:45 into the contest. Their margin was 10-7 before Point Loma claimed the lead for good on the strength of a seven-point run, including four from Boumann.
 
Another Sea Lions surge, this one of 11 unanswered points, increased the differential to 37-22 with 4:02 left in the half. Boumann tallied eight straight points during that span.
 
SPU cut into that deficit with consecutive 3-pointers from Sharif Khan and Miller.
 
Rodriguez made a driving layup to provide a 44-35 halftime advantage for PLNU.
 
Boumann amassed 19 first-half points, six of them coming off his four offensive rebounds. The Sea Lions collected 10 offensive boards during the opening 20 minutes and converted them into 16 second-chance points. In total, their rebounding lead was 24-14 at intermission.
 
"We challenged our guys at the half. We know that we're a better rebounding team than what we showed in the first half," Leep explained.
 
The players responded by posting a 19-13 advantage on the boards in the second half, limiting the Sea Lions to just five on the offensive glass.
 
The Falcons return home to start Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. They host Simon Fraser on Thursday (Dec. 1) and Western Washington on Saturday (Dec. 3). Both games are slated for 7 p.m. starts in Brougham Pavilion.
 
Leep hopes that the advent of the league campaign coincides with the arrival of increased consistency for his Falcons.
 
"I just want our guys to play right for 40 minutes and we haven't done it yet.
 
"We've never asked our guys to play perfectly. We've never asked them to shut an opponent out. But what we have asked is that they give us their best effort every day and every time they play. For the most part we're getting it, but not for a full 40 minutes yet."
 
 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Cougar Classic
Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016
Felix Event Center / Azusa, Calif.
 
Point Loma Nazarene 86, Seattle Pacific 79
 
POINT LOMA NAZARENE (3-3)
Somers 2-4 2-2 8, Lancona 5-11 0-0 12, Boumann 9-12 4-9 22, Rodriguez 5-16 7-8 17, Planeta 4-11 0-0 11, Gilbert 0-0 0-0 0, Peterson 1-3 2-3 4, Shehata 1-2 0-0 3, Burnham 0-0 1-2 1, White 3-5 0-0 8. Totals 30-64 16-24 86.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (3-3)
Wooten 2-6 4-6 8, Miller 6-9 7-11 20, Rasmussen 8-14 1-2 18, Parker 4-7 0-1 12, Betu 4-8 1-4 10, Khan 1-4 1-1 4, Poulsen 0-0 0-0 0, Long 2-4 2-6 7, Eisenhower 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-52 16-31 79.
 
Point Loma Nazarene.....   44   42  -   86
Seattle Pacific.........   35   44  -   79
 
3-point goals--PLNU 10-29 (Planeta 3-9, White 2-3, Somers 2-4, Lancona 2-6, Shehata 1-2, Peterson 0-2, Rodriguez 0-3), SPU 9-21 (Parker 4-6, Betu 1-1, Long 1-2, Khan 1-3, Miller 1-3, Rasmussen 1-4, Wooten 0-2). Fouled out--PLNU-Burnham, SPU-None. Rebounds--PLNU 37 (Boumann 15), SPU 33 (Miller 11). Assists--PLNU 13 (Boumann, Rodriguez 4), SPU 13 (Betu, Long 4). Total fouls—PLNU 28, SPU 19. Technical fouls--PLNU-None, SPU-None. A-247.
 
 
Next SPU Men's Basketball Game
Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Dec. 1, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.