Box Score

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MONMOUTH, Ore. -- A change in defensive strategy changed the whole tone for the Seattle Pacific Falcons.
 
Courtney Hollander pumped in a career-high 23 points on Thursday night, and Jordan McPhee recorded the second double-double of her career as SPU overcame a 13-point second-quarter deficit to beat Western Oregon in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball opener, 68-59.

The Falcons (6-0, 1-0 GNAC) now have won their first six games for the sixth time in program history. The last time came at the start of the 2014-15 season.

 

Junior forward Hollander (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden Christian HS) eclipsed her previous career best of 21 points, set this past Jan. 16 at home against Western Washington. On Thursday, she hit 9 of 17 from the field, including 3 of 5 from behind the 3-point line.
 
Junior guard McPhee (Normandy Park, Wash. / Mount Rainier HS) had 14 points and 10 rebounds, leading SPU on the boards. Her only previous double-double was 11 points and 12 rebounds last Dec. 5 in Seattle against Concordia-Portland.
 
After building a quick 11-6 lead, the Falcons saw Western Oregon (3-3, 0-1 GNAC) go on a 17-3 run to take a 23-14 lead by the end of the first quarter, and then score the first four points of the second quarter for a 27-14 advantage.
 
"We had some good shots and a lot of open looks. But they weren't going in," Falcons coach Julie Heisey said. "We let them get on a little run, and they hit some free throws."
 
It was then that Heisey changed from a zone defense to a defensive press. Senior guard Stacey Lukasiewicz (Centennial, Colo.) immediately came up with a steal. Moments later on that same possession, Hollander wound up at the foul line in WOU's New P.E. Building, and hit one of her two attempts to start a 12-point run that brought the Falcons right back into it.

 

"The big thing is our defense generated offense," said Heisey, whose team concludes its conference-opening road trip on Saturday at Concordia, with a 2:00 p.m. tip-off. "We got 30 points off of turnovers. When we were behind, we were able to get some steals. Julia Haining hit a couple of shots, Erica Pagano got to the free throw line, Jordan and Rachel Shim got into the lane.
 
"We started attacking a little bit more in the paint. And it all started with going into a full-court press."
 
Including that initial free throw, Hollander got the first six of those 12 points. She followed with a 3-pointer, and a jumper. A lay-in by  Lukasiewicz, a jumper by sophomore center Haining, and a lay-in by McPhee cut the Wolves' lead to 27-26. The Falcons climbed into a 34-34 halftime tie on a McPhee lay-in.
 
Western Oregon tallied the first five points of the third quarter to make it 39-34. SPU responded with eight in a row, going up 41-39 for its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.
 
After the Wolves forged one more tie at 41-41, the Falcons rang up 10 straight, part of a 27-7 surge that ended with a 68-48 lead midway through the fourth quarter and effectively put it out of reach.
 
Despite a tough night on offense (SPU hit just 37.8 percent at 28 of 74), the defense ultimately limited Western Oregon to 25 fewer shots (18 of 49, a mark of 36.7 percent). The Falcons dominated the boards, 45-34, with 23 of those coming at the offensive end, leading to 13 second-chance points. They committed just 13 turnovers, the fourth time in six games of fewer than 15.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016
New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.
 
Seattle Pacific 68, Western Oregon 59
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (6-0, 1-0 GNAC)
Courtney Hollander 9-17 2-3 23, Jordan McPhee 7-14 0-0 14, Julia Haining 3-4 2-2 8, Rachel Shim 3-8 0-0 7, Erica Pagano 2-6 3-4 7, Brianne Lasconia 2-7 0-0 4, Stacey Lukasiewicz 1-4 1-2 3, Lindsay Lee 1-6 0-0 2, Carly Rataushk 0-0 0-0 0, Hannah Rodrigues 0-4 0-0 0, Madison Wright 0-2 0-0 0, Madi Hingston 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-74 8-11 68.
 
WESTERN OREGON (3-3, 0-1 GNAC)
Shelby Snook 5-11 6-6 19, Savannah Heugly 3-5 4-4 10, Kennedy Corrigan 2-5 2-2 8, Natalie DeLonge 2-6 2-2 6, Jasmine Miller 2-5 0-0 5, Kaylie Boschma 2-8 0-2 4, Sydney Azorr 1-4 0-0 3, Ali Nelke 0-2 2-2 2, Launia Davis 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 18-49 16-18 59.
 
Seattle Pacific        14           20           21           13           -- 68
Western Oregon     23           11           11           14           -- 59
 
3-point goals – SPU 4-22 (Hollander 3-5, Shim 1-4, Pagano 0-2, Lasconia 0-3, Lee 0-4, Rodrigues 0-1, Wright 0-1, Hingston 0-2), WOU 7-14 (Snook 3-7, Corrigan 2-3, Azorr 1-2, Miller 1-1, Boschma 0-1). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 45 (McPhee 10), WOU 34 (Snook 8). Assists – SPU 16 (Lee 3, Shim 3), WOU 10 (Snook 3). Turnovers – SPU 13, WOU 22. Total fouls – SPU 19, WOU 15. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 218.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Concordia-Portland
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
LCEF Gym / Portland, Ore.