Box Score

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SEATTLE – They're in. Took until the last day of the season to get there …
 
… but they got there.
 
Carly Rataushk pumped in 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting Saturday afternoon, and Jordan McPhee added 10 as the Seattle Pacific Falcons clinched a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament by downing Western Oregon in Brougham Pavilion, 70-60.
 
The win on Senior Day snapped a season-long five-game losing streak for Seattle Pacific.
 
"We needed that so badly," Falcons coach Julie Heisey said. "Our seniors did a good job of setting the tone. I felt like we started both halves well. We started off being aggressive. We knew that our ball pressure and denial could cause them some problems.
 
SPU (18-10, 10-10 GNAC) will take on Northwest Nazarene in a first-round GNAC Tournament game next Thursday at Saint Martin's in Lacey, tipping off at 2:15 p.m. NNU also finished at 10-10 after Saturday's 63-53 victory at Montana State Billings, and is officially the No. 4 seed, with SPU the No. 5 seed under GNAC tiebreaker procedures.

The Falcons and Crusaders split during the regular season, each winning on the road: NNU 73-66 in Seattle, and SPU 68-63 in Nampa.

Thursday's winner plays top-seeded Alaska Anchorage in a semifinal on Friday at 2:15 p.m. The championship game is next Saturday at 5:15 p.m.
 
Seattle Pacific trailed just once all day, that on the opening basket of the game by Western Oregon (8-19, 4-16 GNAC). A 3-pointer by junior guard Lindsay Lee (Spokane, Wash. / Lewis & Clark HS) with 43 seconds left in the first quarter snapped the game's final tie and gave the Falcons an 18-15 lead.
 
 A quick run of six straight points late in the third quarter helped push the advantage to 11: a fast-break lay-in by Lee, a foul line jumper by Rataushk on an assist by McPhee after McPhee stole an inbounds pass, and a scoop lay-in by McPhee, all in a span of just 49 seconds.
 
"It was really nice to start the second half with a lead, and we were able to build on it," Heisey said. "We did a lot of good things.
 
Western Oregon got as close as five at the outset of the fourth quarter, 51-46. SPU responded with a 10-2 run to make it a 13-point bulge at 61-48, and it stayed in double-digits the rest of the day.
 
Rataushk (Kirkland, Wash. / Lake Washington HS) came off the bench to lead the Falcons in scoring for the second game in a row.

 

Hannah Rodrigues (Eugene, Ore.) one of the three seniors saluted on Saturday, had team highs of eight rebounds and four steals, the latter of which tied her career high. Stacey Lukasiewicz (Centennial, Colo.) and Brianne Lasconia (Seattle / Shorecrest HS), the other two seniors, had eight points apiece. Lukasiewicz also grabbed five rebounds, dished three assists, had one steal and one blocked shot.
 
SPU shot 43.9 percent from the field (29 of 66), and limited Western Oregon to 35.4 percent (23 of 65).
 
The Falcons had a season-low nine turnovers, and forced the Wolves into 16. Of those, 13 were Seattle Pacific steals.
 
Besides lifting SPU out of its five-game funk, Saturday's victory provided the boost they were seeking to begin postseason play, after missing out on the conference tourney last year.
 
"What Carly (Rataushk) said is we're 0-and-0, and we're undefeated now," Heisey said.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 70, Western Oregon 60       
 
WESTERN OREGON (8-19, 4-16 GNAC)
Jasmine Miller 5-12 0-0 12, Ali Nelke 0-2 0-0 0, Shelby Snook 7-17 2-2 20, Kaylie Boschma 1-6 0-0 2, Sydney Azorr 3-10 0-0 8, Tori Cambra 0-0 2-2 2, Kennedy Corrigan 1-4 0-0 3, Launia Davis 2-5 0-0 5, Kory Oleson 0-4 0-0 0, Savannah Heugly 4-5 0-1 8. Totals 23-65 4-5 60.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (18-10, 10-10 GNAC)
Hannah Rodrigues 1-2 2-2 4, Erica Pagano 2-8 1-2 5, Stacey Lukasiewicz 4-8 0-0 8, Jordan McPhee 5-11 0-0 10, Brianne Lasconia 3-8 2-2 8, Rachel Shim 2-5 3-4 7, Jaylee Albert 2-4 0-0 6, Madi HIngston 0-0 0-0 0, Madison Wright 1-3 0-0 2, Lindsay Lee 3-8 0-0 8, Carly Rataushk 6-9 0-0 12. Totals 29-66 8-10 70.
 
Western Oregon                  15             7           22           16           -- 60
Seattle Pacific                     18           12           21           19           -- 70
 
3-point goals – WOU 10-30 (Miller 2-3,Snook 4-13, Boschma 0-2, Azorr 2-5, Corrigan 1-4, Davis 1-2, Oleson 0-1), SPU 4-18 (Pagano 0-1, McPHee 0-3, Lasconia 0-1, Shim 0-2, Albert 2-4, Wright 0-1, Lee 2-6). Fouled out – None.. Rebounds – WOU 41 (Azorr 8), SPU 39 (Rodrigues 8). Assists – 12 (Snook 4), SPU 17 (Shim 4, Lee 4). Turnovers – WOU 16, SPU 9. Total fouls – WOU 9, SPU 10. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 218.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific vs. Northwest Nazarene at GNAC Tournament
Thursday, March 2     2:15 p.m.
Marcus Pavilion at Saint Martin's / Lacey, Wash.