Box score, play-by-play (HTML)
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – Coach Julie Heisey has no doubt that the Seattle Pacific Falcons are going to have more nights when they shoot better from the floor and from the foul line.
 
Thursday just didn't happen to be one of those nights.
 
Julia Haining had a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, but 13^th-ranked SPU was hampered by frosty marksmanship from everywhere on LCEF Court and dropped a 59-57 decision to Concordia-Portland in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball opener.
 
The Falcons (5-1, 0-1 GNAC) hit just 20 of 65 from the floor (30.8 percent), including 2 of 21 (9.5 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. Uncharacteristically, they even went cold from the free throw line, draining just 15 of 25 (60 percent).
 
"We know we can play better," Heisey said. "We're going to make free throws, and we're going to make shots."
 
 "It's just one of those things," she added. "It has to sting enough where you grow from it. We're a good team, and we have to stay focused on the task at hand and take pride in the things we did well tonight."

 

The double-double for senior center Haining (Lynnwood, Wash. / Inglemoor HS) was the second of her career. Her previous best off the boards was 16 on Nov. 10 in a season-opening win against Humboldt State. The 14 points tied a career high, as she hit 7 of 12 from the floor.
 
Senior guard Jordan McPhee added 13 points and eight rebounds for Seattle Pacific.
 
Down by eight at 55-47 with 3:07 to go, the Falcons still trailed by six inside the final minute when they put five straight on the board. McPhee (Normandy Park, Wash. / Mount Rainier HS) drained a 3-pointer with 51.7 seconds left to make it 56-53. Then, after stealing the ensuing inbounds pass, senior guard Rachel Shim (Sammamish, Wash. / Skyline HS) converted a lay-in at 41.7 seconds, cutting the deficit to 56-55.
 
Two successive trips to the free throw line helped the Cavaliers (5-2, 1-0 GNAC) extend their lead to 58-55. A putback by Haining again brought SPU within one at 58-57 with 4.5 seconds left.
 
But Abby Alplaca hit one of her two free throws with 3.8 seconds to go, and McPhee's 3-pointer from the left of the lane at the buzzer had the distance, but bounced off the rim.
 
Concordia went ahead for good late in the first half, taking a 31-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. Seattle Pacific was back within 35-34 early in the third quarter when the Cavaliers ran off eight in a row to take their biggest lead of the night at 43-34.
 
Four times after that, the Falcons got as close as five – but never closer until that last-minute scoring burst.
 
"We were at five so many times – we just couldn't get over (that hump)," Heisey said. "We have to find a way to get a stop and get a score, and cut the lead. Every time we got to five, they got it back to seven or eight. It's so much about momentum."

BY THE NUMBERS
--SPU kept its opponent below 60 points for the fourth time in six games this season. But the Falcons also were kept below 60 for the first time this season.
 
"Our defense was pretty good. If we can hold teams to 59 points, that's our average," Heisey said. "But give Concordia credit – they made plays, and they hit some hard shots, especially in the first half. We had 20 offensive rebounds, and we had stretches at the right time where we gave ourselves a chance to win."
 
--This was just the second time in 17 years that Seattle Pacific fell short in its GNAC opener. The only other such instance was 79-74 at Simon Fraser in 2011.
--Courtney Hollander's seven points put her at exactly 800 for her career. Haining's 14 pushed her past 200. She now has 213.
 
UP NEXT
SPU returns to action on Saturday at Western Oregon in Monmouth, tipping off at 2:00 p.m. The Wolves beat Saint Martin's in their opener on Thursday, 72-66, and are now 5-0.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017
LCEF Court / Portland, Ore.
 
Concordia-Portland 59, (No. 13)
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (5-1, 0-1 GNAC)
Julia Haining 7-12 0-0 14, Jordan McPhee 5-15 2-5 13, Carly Rataushk 4-7 1-2 9, Courtney Hollander 0-8 7-10 7, Lindsay Lee 2-11 1-2 6, Rachel Shim 2-5 1-2 5l, Hailee Bennett 0-4 2-2 2, Cici West 0-1 1-2 1, Erica Pagano 0-1 0-0 0, Jaylee Albert 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-65 15-25 57.
 
CONCORDIA-PORTLAND (5-2, 1-0 GNAC)
Danielle Hartzog 7-17 0-0 15, Keesha Sarman 4-7 0-1 10, Erin Higbie 4-5 2-4 10, Kizzah Maltezo 3-9 0-0 8, Bailey Cartwright 1-7 5-8 7, Abby Aplaca 2-4 3-7 7, Nakiyah LeSure 1-1 0-0 2, Rebecca Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Iraide Juez 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-52 10-20 59.
 
Seattle Pacific                     13           14           12           18           -- 57
Concordia-Portland            15           16           15           13           -- 59
 
3-point goals – SPU 2-21 (McPhee 1-4, Lee 1-9, Hollander 0-3, Shim 0-2, Bennett 0-2, Albert 0-1), CU 5-17 (Maltezo 2-6, Sarman 2-2, Hartzog 1-7, Juez 0-1, Cartwright 0-1). Fouled out – CU: Taylor. Rebounds – SPU 45 (Haining 17), CU 39 (Cartwright 9). Assists – SPU 10 (Shim 4), CU 12 (Sarman 4) Turnovers – SPU 15, CU 20. Attendance – 203.


Next game
Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.