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PORTLAND, Ore. – Even if the Seattle Pacific Falcons can't take their season as far as they'd like to take it, at least they can finish it the way they'd like to finish.
 
With a couple of victories.
 
SPU pocketed the first of those on Thursday night, as Courtney Hollander scored 16 points, and Jordan McPhee was right behind with 15 to help beat Concordia in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game at Cavalier Court, 64-49.
 
 The Falcons (11-15, 8-11 GNAC) won their second straight conference road contest after having dropped their previous six. This was their first trip to Concordia since 1999 non-conference game. The Cavaliers are in their inaugural year as a GNAC member.
 
"We have kids who are winners," head coach Julie Heisey said. "We have high standards for ourselves, and you can see that in the classroom. (The Falcons had a program record-tying seven named to the GNAC All-Academic team on Tuesday.) We talked about playing our best and finishing the best that we can."
 
"We did a lot of things very well tonight," Heisey added. "Our defense was really good, and we scored consistently, and that's important."
 
SPU will conclude the season on Saturday afternoon at Western Oregon in Monmouth, tipping off at 2:00 p.m.

 

Sophomore forward Hollander (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden Christian HS) and junior Stacey Lukasiewicz (Centennial, Colo.) had seven rebounds apiece for SPU, which dominated the boards, 40-28.
 
Seattle Pacific never trailed, and the game was tied just twice, the last time at 6-6 midway through the first quarter. From there, the Falcons scored the last eight points of that period and the first two of the second for a 10-0 run that gave them the lead for good.
 
SPU had a 34-19 advantage at halftime, the fourth time this season it has kept an opponent below 20 points through the opening 20 minutes.
 
Concordia (6-21, 4-15 GNAC) came back strong during the third quarter, scoring more points (20) and draining more field goals (seven) than during the entire first half. A 7-0 Cavaliers run cut Seattle Pacific's 12-point lead down to five at 44-39.
 
But the Falcons responded with the last four points of the quarter on a lay-in by sophomore forward Erica Pagano, and a jumper by senior center Molly Grager to make it 48-39. A lay-in by Grager to open the fourth restored the double-digit lead.
 
"Molly gave us a big lift in the second half, and we really needed that," Heisey said. (Grager had nine points and six rebounds off the bench.) "Different people at different times gave us a spark tonight."
 
Concordia never got closer than eight during the fourth quarter, cutting the margin to 52-44 with 5:28 left. A 12-2 SPU surge put the game away.

 

"It was a little bit challenging," Heisey said. "I thought we played a really good first half. All of a sudden, they were able to score a lot of points (during the third quarter). The fouls and free throws changed the momentum of the game a little bit.
 
"But I was happy we were able to bounce back."
 
Seattle Pacific had its best shooting night in more than three weeks, hitting 43.9 percent from the floor (25 of 57). The Cavaliers were limited to just 34 percent shooting (16 of 47), and after their seven field goals during the third quarter, hit just three during the fourth.
 
The Falcons are now 6-0 when keeping an opponent below 50 points, and 9-1 when keeping one below 60.
 
Danielle Hartzog led Concordia with 16 points. The team was without leading scorer Sierra Dean (12.3 points per game, including 15 against the Falcons in Seattle on Dec. 5), who did not suit up on Thursday.
  
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Cavalier Court / Portland, Ore.
 
Seattle Pacific 64, Concordia 49
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (11-15, 8-11 GNAC)
Courtney Hollander 7-13 1-2 16, Jordan McPhee 6-12 2-2 15, Molly Grager 4-7 1-2 9, Brianne Lasconia 3-7 0-0 7, Stacey Lukasiewicz 2-6 0-0 4, Erica Pagano 2-4 0-0 4, Hannah Rodrigues 0-2 4-5 4, Jaylee Albert 1-2 0-0 3, Julia Haining 0-2 1-2 1, Lindsay 0-2 1-2 1, Riley Evans 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-57 10-15 64.
 
CONCORDIA (6-21, 4-15 GNAC)
Danielle Hartzog 6-15 2-2 16 Lexi Campbel 3-3 4-4 13, Bailey Cartwright 1-7 6-8 8, McKenna Daly 2-7 0-0 4, Erin Higbie 2-8 0-0 4, Keesha Sarma 1-6 0-2 2, Nakiyah LeSure 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 16-47 12-16 49.


Seattle Pacific     14           20           14           16           -- 64
Concordia              6            13           20           10           -- 49
 
3-point goals – SPU 4-13 (Albert 1-1, McPhee 1-3, Hollander 1-4, Lasconia 1-1, Lee 0-1, Lukasiewicz 0-2), CU 5-12 (Campbell 3-3, Hartzog 2-6, Higbie 0-1, Sarman 0-2). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 40 (LukasiewicZ 7, Hollander 7), CU 28 (Cartwirght 7). Assists – SPU 13 (Lukasiewicz 3, Rodrigues 3), CU 7 (Sarman 2, Higbie 2, Cartwright 2). Turnovers – SPU 19, CU 21. Total fouls – SPU 18, CU 17. Technical fouls – CU: Coach Kelly. Attendance – 189.
 
 
Next game –        Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon
                                Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
                                New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.