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SEATTLE – Their shots weren't falling, especially during the second half.
 
So the Seattle Pacific Falcons countered by doing some of the other things needed to win a game: Rebounding. Hitting free throws. Taking care of the ball. And getting everyone involved.
 
Jordan McPhee scored 14 points, including four at the free throw line in the final minute, and Courtney Hollander polished off a double-double with a tie-breaking three-point play as 13th-ranked SPU pulled out 64-58 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Central Washington on Thursday night.
 
The win in Brougham Pavilion kept the Falcons (11-0, 3-0 GNAC) undefeated, and came with just two days of practice following nine days off for Christmas break.

 

"After seven, eight, nine days off, you come back and there's only so much you can do in two days, so there's going to be some rust," head coach Julie Heisey said. "Our depth was huge. And when we needed to get some stops down the stretch, (Central) hit that one 3-ponter, but we did a good job."
 
SPU out-rebounded the Wildcats, 41-35, hit 85 percent from the line (18 of 21), and committed just 12 turnovers. That made up for just 31 percent field goal shooting after halftime and 36 percent for the game.
 
The Falcons used a late-game 7-0 scoring run to come from two points down and move in front to stay. In fact, with the game tied at 51-51 and four minutes still on the clock, five different Falcons – Stacey Lukasiewicz, Julia Haining, Hollander, McPhee, and Rachel Shim -- accounted for the decisive final 13 points.
 
"It's a conference win, and I was proud of our team because Central played very, very well in the second half," said Heisey, whose team hosts Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at 2;00 p.m.. "The hard thing is you have rhythm before the break. Our kids did a super job of staying in shape and did a good job working on their shooting. Timing just comes from playing together.
 
"If we can play through it and win, it's a blessing."
 




BIG SPU SURGE, BIG CENTRAL COMEBACK
A 15-0 second-quarter run propelled the Falcons to a 34-21 halftime lead. Early in the third, they seemed ready to pull away, building the margin to a16 at 39-23.
 
But Central Washington (5-6, 0-3 GNAC) climbed back in, finally tying it at 51-51, and taking a 55-53 lead on a 5-foot floater by Sadie Mensing with 3:47 left in the game.

 

Sophomore center Haining (Lynnwood, Wash. / Inglemoor HS) tied it with a lay-in off a pass from Lindsay Lee with 2:26 to go. Then at the 1:39 mark. junior forward Hollander (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden Christian HS) drove into the lane with Central;s JonNae Richardson tight on her. Hollander scooped one toward the basket just hoping to draw the foul. It dropped through, Richardson was whistled for the foul – her fifth – and Hollander swished the free throw for a 58-55 lead with 1:39 left.
 
That was still the score exactly one minute later when junior guard McPhee (Normandy Park, Wash. / Mount Rainier HS) went under the hoop on the left side, had a shot blocked, but scrambled to grab her own rebound, and was fouled on the way back up. She drained both free throws, pushing the lead to 60-55.

 

The Wildcats stayed in it when Kortney Grattic buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key, cutting it to 60-58 at 33.1 seconds. Senior guard Shim (Sammamish, Wash. / Skyline HS) was fouled on the drive into front court and hit both of her free throws for a 62-58 edge.
 
Grattic tried another trey for Central, but this one bounced away. McPhee was fouled and hit two more free throws with 15.3 seconds left. Jasmin Edwards' 3-pointer for Central bounced off the rim, Haining secured the rebound, and SPU ran out the clock.
 
That last rebound for Haining was her 10th of the night, her first collegiate double-digit performance off the boards. She also had eight points, hitting all four of her field goal tries.
 
Hollander had 10 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season and 12th of her career.

 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
(No. 13) Seattle Pacific 64, Central Washington 58
 
CENTRAL WASHINGTON (5-6, 0-3 GNAC)
Taylor Baird 5-8 1-4 11, Rachel Lorentson 1-8 1-4 3, Jasmin Edwards 7-16 0-1 15, Sadie Mensing 3-5 0-0 7, Kortney Grattic 3-9 0-0 7, JonNae Richrdson 2-4 1-3 5, Beverly Verduin 0-0 0-0 0, Kaelie Fores 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Shaw 2-3 0-0 5, Qua'Shaya Hammon 0-0 0-0 0, Sarah McGee 2-4 1-2 5. Totals 25-57 4-14 58.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (11-0, 3-0 GNAC)
Courtney Hollander 3-9 3-3 11, Erica Pagano 4-11 0-0 8, Stacey Lukasiewicz 0-2 2-2 2, Rachel Shim 2-6 2-2 7, Jordan McPhee 3-9 8-10 14, Jaylee Albert 1-3 0-0 2, Julia Haining 4-4 0-0 8, Brianne Lasconia 2-8 2-2 7, Lindsay Lee 2-5 0-0 5, Hannah Rodrigues 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 21-58 18-21 64.
 
Central Washington           17             4           16           21           -- 58
Seattle Pacific                     17           17           10           20           -- 64
 
3-point goals—CWU 4-16 (Lorentson 0-3, Edwards 1-5, Mensing 1-2, Grattic 1-4, Richardson 0-1, Shaw 1-1), SPU 4-17 (Hollander 1-2, Pagano 0-1, Shim 1-3, McPhee 0-2, Albert 0-2, Lasconia 1-4, Lee 1-3). Fouled out – CWU: Mensing, Richardson. Rebounds – CWU 35 (Baird 12), SPU 41 (Hollander 11, Haining 10). Assists – CWU 11 (Edwards 7), SPU 14 (Lukasiewicz 4). Turnovers – CWU 15, SPU 12. Total fouls – CWU 19, SPU 17. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 427.
 
 
Next game
Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion