Box score, play-by-play (HTML)

IRVINE, Calif. – Courtney Hollander was due for a night like this.
 
Hollander poured in a career-high 25 points, and 19^th-ranked Seattle Pacific led for all but a few moments of the first quarter to beat Concordia Irvine in a non-conference women's basketball game on Wednesday night in CU Arena, 74-67.
 
The Falcons (8-1 overall) won their third straight and are now 6-0 in non-conference games.

 

"I think we've been playing really well on the road," Hollander said – and indeed, SPU has played seven of its nine contests this season away from Seattle. "It was kind of crucial for us to play together, and just having us older girls on the floor, we were able to set a tone and stuck with that the whole game."
 
Senior forward / guard Hollander (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden Christian HS) beat her previous career high of 23, set at Western Oregon on Dec. 1, 2016. Hollander's season high this year had been 18 in an 80-69 victory at then-No. 16 Azusa Pacific on Nov. 17.
 
A lay-in on a third-chance opportunity gave Hollander 23 and put SPU on top 65-57 with 7:17 to go. Another lay-in at the 5:58 mark put her at 25 for the night and left the Falcons up 10 at 67-57.
 
Hollander hit 11 of 17 from the field, with the 11 makes also a career high. Her previous best was nine in two games – most recently that Western Oregon contest last December. She also had seven rebounds and three assists.
 
"I was just excited to finally get out there and get comfortable playing," Hollander said. "I feel like I've struggled the last couple games, so it was good to find a flow. Having a point guard like Rachel (Shim) on the floor was a big help tonight." (Of Shim's four assists, two went to Hollander.)
 
Senior guard Jordan McPhee added 10 points for the Falcons.
 
Seattle Pacific led for all but 51 seconds of the game, that when Concordia had a 14-13 edge late in the first quarter. The Falcons were up by 13 at 45-32 before taking a 45-34 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
The Eagles got within six at 57-51 by the end of the third quarter. They twice got as close as four in the fourth, the last time at 69-65 with 1:10 left.
 
"They're a young team with a really good coach, and their offense is hard to defend," SPU head coach Julie Heisey said. "They were able to drive on us so much. But the good thing is we got the win, and we get to learn some things. … It was another in-region game and we've only had two games at home. Our kids have shown a lot of grit."
 
BY THE NUMBERS

-- Of their 28 baskets on Wednesday, SPU had assists on 21 of them. Both the total and the percentage (75 percent) were the highest of the season. Of the nine Falcons who played, eight had at least one assist, with senior Lindsay Lee's five leading the way.
 
"We had some really great passes," Heisey said. "We were able to find Courtney in the post, we were able to find Julia Haining, we were able to find Erica, and Erica's shots were big – every basket she had was a really important one that we needed."
 
-- Heisey now has an all-time coaching record of 418 wins and 218 losses. That puts her 200 games above .500 for the first time in her career, which is now in its 22^nd year overall and 13^th at SPU.
-- Hollander's 11 field goals pushed her past 300 for her career. She now has 309.
-- The entire starting five (Hollander, McPhee, Haining, Shim, and Lee), along with reserves Pagano and Hailee Bennett all had points, rebounds, assists, and steals in the box score.
-- Shim had another turnover-free night, her fourth in nine games this season.
 
UP NEXT
SPU concludes non-conference play on Monday against Oklahoma Christian in the Saint Martin's Classic. Tip-off at Marcus Pavilion in Lacey is at 5:15 p.m.

 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017
CU Arena / Irvine, Calif.
 
(No. 19) Seattle Pacific 74, Concordia Irvine 67
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (8-1)
Rachel Shim 1-5 5-6 8, Jordan McPhee 4-11 2-2 10, Julia Haining 2-8 0-2 4, Courtney Hollander 11-17 2-2 25, Lindsay Lee 2-5 0-0 5, Jaylee Albert 3-4 0-0 8, Hailee Bennett 0-2 1-2 1, Erica Pagano 3-4 3-4 9, Carly Rataushk 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 28-60 13-18 74.
 
CONCORDIA IRVINE (5-4)
Kennedy Fulcher 6-10 3-6 15, Reilly Walsh 3-6 0-0 6, Sopavy Seng 4-9 2-2 11, Michaela Vanderklugt 2-5 0-0 4, Portia Neale 4-6 2-2 12, Montana Walters 3-7 0-0 9, Riley Friauf 4-7 2-3 10, Maddie Sulka 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-50 9-13 67.
 
Seattle Pacific                     20           25           12           17           -- 74
Concordia Irvine                  18           16           17           16           -- 67
 
3-point goals – SPU 5-16 (Shim 1-4, McPhee 0-2, Hollander 1-3, Lee 1-4, Albert 2-3), CUI 6-15 (Walsh 0-1, Seng 1-4, Vanderklugt 0-1, Neale 2-3, Walters 3-6). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 33 (Hollander 7, Haining 7), CUI 27 (Fulcher 8). Assists – SPU 21 (Lee 5), CUI 18 (Walsh 5). Turnovers – SPU 13, CUI 18. Total fouls – SPU 15, CUI 13. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – NA.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific vs. Oklahoma Christian
Monday, Dec. 18     5:15 p.m.
Marcus Pavilion (Saint Martin's) / Lacey, Wash.