THE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Feb. 1                   Seattle Pacific at Central Washington, 5:15 p.m.
                                                Nicholson Pavilion / Ellensburg, Wash.
                                                Live ESPN3 stream        Live stats
 
Saturday, Feb. 3                  Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene, 4:15 p.m. PST
                                                Johnson Sports Center / Nampa, Idaho
                                                Live Webcast                  Live stats
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific Falcons have every reason to be jubilant about January.
 
Now, they'll be out to see if they can forge a fabulous February.
 
And come Thursday night, the whole country will be able to watch.
 
With a winning streak that now has reached seven, SPU takes the second half of a four-game road trip this week, stopping first in Ellensburg to face Central Washington, winners of four straight, in a game that will be streamed live on ESPN3. Darren Goldwater will call play-by-play, and Robin Muller will provide color analysis. Tip-off is set for 5:15 p.m.
 
SPU (16-3, 10-2 GNAC) then journeys to Idaho for Saturday's contest in Nampa against Northwest Nazarene – one of just three teams against which it has come up short this winter. The Falcons and Nighthawks tip off at 4:15 p.m. Pacific time.
 
Seattle Pacific is coming off a 7-1 January, and this week's two opponents both factored into that. The new calendar year got off to a rough start on Jan. 4 with a 58-57 loss to NNU in Brougham Pavilion. But the Falcons bounced back two nights later to start their current string of seven straight victories by downing Central, 62-43.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
The Webcast of Thursday's game at Central Washington will be available on ESPN3 only. The appropriate link is at the top of this story. It will not be available on Stretch Internet, which carries all the other GNAC contests. Live stats from Central, as well as Saturday's game from Northwest Nazarene, will be available as normal, and that link also is at the top of this page.
 
Saturday's game at Northwest Nazarene, both the Webcast and live stats, will be available on Stretch, at this link.

FALCONS PART OF GNAC DOUBLEHEADER ON ESPN3
The SPU-Central Washington game will be one of two being streamed live on ESPN3 on Thursday. The second of those two games also will be in Nicholson Pavilion, as the host Wildcats tangle with arch-rival Western Washington at 7:30 p.m.
 
This is one of 14 college doubleheaders that make up this season's streaming schedule as part of the network's Division II Basketball Showcase. The selection of games was announced on Oct. 5.
 
It is the first time since 2016 that the GNAC has been part of the Showcase. That season, the two GNAC Tournament championship games were streamed.
 
ESPN3 is the company's live multiscreen sports network, which delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets, and streaming devices through the ESPN app.

GOING TO E-BERG?
For those fans who are making the trip across the mountains, rain and snow are likely in Snoqualmie Pass on Thursday, with the snow level near 2,500 feet (Snoqualmie is 3,022 feet). Coming home on Thursday night, rain and snow again are likely, although the snow level rises to 4,000 feet
 
 Click on this link for information from the Washington State Department of Transportation about driving conditions.

Once at Nicholson Pavilion, tickets are available at the door. Prices are $15 for reserved seating, $10 for general admission, and $5 for students with proper identification. For those who might wish to stay, that ticket also is good for the Central-Western Washington men's game at 7:30 p.m.
 

SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- Falcons head coach Julie Heisey will face former her former assistant coach Randi Richardson for the second team and her former lead assistant Steve Steele for the fourth time. She is 1-0 against Central's Richardson and 2-2 against NNU's Steele.
-- The seven straight wins is Seattle Pacific's longest winning streak since it opened last season with 11 in a row.
-- This one includes four on the road, part of a 10-2 overall record outside of Brougham Pavilion, 8-1 in true road games.
-- After yielding a season-high 76 points in last Tuesday's 94-76 win at Saint Martin's and seeing their average jump to 60.2, the Falcons bumped it back down to 59.7 by allowing Montana State Billings a season-low 50 on Saturday in a 66-50 victory.
-- SPU now has kept 17 of its 19 opponents below their season scoring averages.
-- That includes 28 points below for Central Washington in the first game (43, down from 71.1) and 25 below for Northwest Nazarene (58, down from 83). Billings was kept 20 points below on Saturday
-- At the end of the first quarter on Jan. 4, SPU had a 13-2 lead on Central, the fewest points allowed by the Falcons in one quarter.
-- Senior guard Jordan McPhee was the only SPU player to reach double figures in both of those home games: 14 vs. Central, 13 vs. Northwest Nazarene.
-- Seattle Pacific has a chance to go for a third straight season sweep when it takes on Central Washington, having completed the 2-for-2 against Saint Martin's and Billings last week.
-- In each of the past five games, a different Falcon has led the team in scoring: Jordan McPhee (26 at Simon Fraser), Julia Haining (14 vs. Alaska Fairbanks), Rachel Shim (23 vs. Alaska Anchorage), Riley Evans (20 a Saint Martin's), and Courtney Hollander (18 at Montana State Billings).
 
SCOUTING THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON WILDCATS: 12-8, 8-4 GNAC (tie 4th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 49-30. Current series streak: SPU won 3. Last time: SPU 62, CWU 43 (Jan. 6 at Seattle). Wildcats on the Web. Wildcats in a nutshell: Since its 19-point blowout loss at Seattle Pacific on Jan. 6, Central Washington has been one of the most consistent teams in the GNAC. The Wildcats have won four straight and five of their last six, including last week's pair at the two Oregon schools. the only loss being 86-84 at Montana State Billings on Jan. 13. Senior 5-foot-5 point guard Jasmin Edwards and junior 5-9 guard Sadie Mensing continue to be the primary options on offense for Central. Edwards averages a team-leading 13.4 points per game, and is No. 3 in the conference at 4.6 assists. Mensing scores at a 12.8 clip, hauls down 4.3 rebounds Very close to double-figure scoring for the Wildcats are sophomore 5-9 guard Alexis Pana (9.6) and senior 6-2 forward Taylor Baird (9.5). Baird leads Central in rebounding (7.1) and field goal shooting (.470). Edwards and Mensing each have had one 20-point game since scoring 11 and 6, respectively, at SPU.
 
SCOUTING THE NORTHWEST NAZARENE NIGHTHAWKS: 14-3, 10-2 GNAC (tie 2nd)
All-time series: SPU leads, 32-8. Current series streak: NNU won 1. Last time: NNU 58, SPU 57 (Jan. 4 at Seattle). Nighthawks on the Web.
Nighthawks in a nutshell: After a 79-73 home loss to Central Washington on Jan. 9 halted a five-game winning streak, Northwest Nazarene has gotten right back on track, winning its last four. As was the case in Seattle on Jan. 4, the Nighthawks will come into the game as the top scoring team in the GNAC, now at 79 points per game (it was 83.3 back then). They're also the conference's most accurate shooting team, at .441 overall and .368 from behind the 3-point arc. Lexi Tubbs, a 5-11 senior guard, leads the way at 13.2 points per game, and can be deadly from downtown at .420 (37 of 88). McKenna Walker, a 5-9 junior guard, averages 11.5 points, and 5-11 forward Danielle Jardine is at 10.9. Jardine is the best shooter in the GNAC at .578 (67 of 116) – and that's coming off the bench for an average of 18 minutes per game. Northwest Nazarene has continued with its same starting five for all 17 games, and four of those starters shoot in the low to mid 40 percent range.
 
DRAMA QUEENS AT NICHOLSON
The Falcons have won their past five games in Central's Ncholson Pavilion. But all five have featured either a down-to-the-wire finish or a come-from-behind effort – sometimes both.
 
-- SPU 54, CWU 51 (Jan. 28, 2017): Down 45-38 at the outset of the fourth quarter, the Falcons went on a 13-2 run to move in front. Courtney Hollander swishes two free throws with 10.3 seconds left to provide the final margin.
-- SPU 52, CWU 49 (Dec. 31, 2015): The Wildcats went in front 49-47 on a lay-up by now-senior Jasmin Edwards with 14 seconds left. Jordan McPhee drained a 3-pointer from well beyond the arc with just more than four seconds to go for a 50-49 SPU lead, and Central missed a close-range at 3.8 seconds, the Falcons rebounded, and Brianne Lasconia hit two free throws to clinch it.
-- SPU 73, CWU 64 (2 OT) (Feb. 12, 2015): The Falcons were down 52-44 with 4:41 left. Then, trailing 56-54 at the two-second mark, Aubree Callen drained two free throws to force the first OT. Central tied the score with 2.4 seconds left in that period, forcing the second extra five minutes. Suzanna Ohlsen, now an SPU assistant coach, scored the first five points on the way to a career-high 26, and SPU gradually pulled away.
-- SPU 73, CWU 65 (Jan 18, 2014): A 58-56 deficit with 6:19 left was erased with a 6-0 scoring run, and the Falcons subsequently clinched the game at the foul line, going 8 for 8 in the final 61 seconds.
-- SPU 71, CWU 65 (Feb. 28, 2013): The Falcons were down 15 at 34-19 late in the first half. Still trailing by three at 61-58 with 4:24 left in the game, they put together a 9-0 run to go in front for good.

 

PUTTING 'EM DOWN FROM DOWNTOWN
For a stretch of the season from just before the seven-day holiday break to the week afterward, SPU struggled from 3-point range. Just three weeks ago, as they headed out for their road trip to Western Washington and Simon Fraser, the Falcons were hitting less than 30 percent behind the arc (82 of 275 for 29.8 percent).
 
But that long-range accuracy has taken a noticeable uptick upward. It started with the Jan. 9 game in Bellingham against the Vikings, with a .333 effort (7 of 21).
 
Turns out that actually has been the lowest mark of the past six games. It was followed by .400 (4 of 10) at Simon Fraser, .346 (9 of 26) vs. Alaska Fairbanks, .450 (9 of 20) vs. Anchorage, an eye-popping .524 (11 of 21) at Saint Martin's, and then last Saturday's .400 (8 of 20) at Montana State Billings.
 
Add it all up, and it's 48 of 118 for 40.7 percent in those six games. Now, instead of .298 and 10^th among the 11 GNAC schools, Seattle Pacific is at .331 and No. 5 on the list.
 
2 GAMES, 2 CAREER HIGHS
In a span of just four days, junior guard Riley Evans went from Down Under the radar to way over it.

 

The Australian native delivered back-to-back career-high scoring performances to help SPU win two more games.
 
First, it was a 13-point outing against No. 4-ranked Alaska Anchorage to help the Falcons secure a 66-48 victory.
 
Then last Tuesday at Saint Martins, Evans poured in 20 points, hitting 7 of 11 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point land. She had eight of those points during the first half, and added 10 more during the third quarter to help Seattle Pacific build a 30-point lead.
 
Those 18 points secured the career high, but would get to 20? Evans did, converting a lay-in with 42.5 seconds left in the game.
 
EVER NEARER TO SCORING MILESTONES
 

Jordan McPhee and Courtney Hollander continued their steady march toward 1,000 points, and fellow senior Erica Pagano is on the brink of her 500^th as this week's games begin.
 
McPhee had 27 points in two games last week, pushing her total to 971. Hollander also tallied 27 for her two games, and now has 960.
 
They are on track to become the 23^rd and 24^th players in program history to make the scoring millennium.
 
Pagano went for 25 points in her two games, with a career high-tying 15 in Saturday's 66-50 victory at Montana State Billings. That puts her at 493.
 
MARKING OTHER MILESTONES
In reach
100th free throw    Rachel Shim (has 95)
100th steal             Rachel Shim (has 92)
200th point            Carly Rataushk (has 190)
500th point            Erica Pagano (has 493)
600th rebound      Cici West (has 589)
 
Made last week
None

 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Among the 302 programs in D2, SPU is …
-- 36th in scoring margin ( 13.4)
-- 37th in assist / turnover ratio (1.10)
-- 40th in assists per game (15.9)
-- 40th in fewest turnovers (275)
-- 41st in scoring defense (59.7)
-- 40th in steals per game (10.3)
– 45th in rebounding margin ( 5.9)
-- 45th in steals (195)
-- 50th in turnovers per game (14.5)
 
Click on this link to see how SPU ranks nationally. Click on this link for a look at other GNAC teams and players in the national stats.
 
POLLING PLACE
For the second straight week, Seattle Pacific is receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association national poll, but not enough to crack the top 25. The Falcons picked up 11 points, tied for No. 31 overall. Undefeated Ashland of Ohio (20-0) continues as the unanimous No. 1.
 
The Falcons remained No. 2 in this week's D2SIDA West Region poll, which was released on Monday. They received 53 points in the voting from a select group of West Region sports information directors. Alaska Anchorage was back to being a unanimous No. 1 with all six first-place votes and 60 points. UC San Diego remained No. 3.
 
The first NCAA regional rankings, which ultimately determine which eight schools from each region advance to the national tournament, are due out on Feb. 14.
 
AROUND THE WEST
It didn't take Alaska Anchorage long to get back into a winning groove in GNAC play. The Seawolves (18-2, 11-1 GNAC) stayed one game ahead of Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene by beating Western Washington and Simon Fraser at home. The Falcons and Nighthawks are both 10-2. In essence, the three hottest teams in the league are intertwined on this week's schedule, with SPU having won seven straight, NNU five, and Central Washington (8-4 GNAC) four in a row.
 
UC San Diego is still in command of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Tritons, at 13-1 (17-3 overall) have a 3½-game lead on 10-5 Cal Poly Pomona (13-7 overall) and Humboldt State (11-9 overall). At this point, UCSD and perhaps Pomona might wind up as the only CCAA teams that don't have double-digit overall losses before conference tournament play begins.
 
Hawaii Pacific and Azusa Pacific are separated by mere percentage points for the Pacific West Conference lead. The Sharks are 10-1 (.909) and 16-2 overall; the Cougars are 12-2 (.857) and 21-3 overall. Still mathematically in it is Dominican at 8-4 (14-6 overall), with a game at Hawaii Pacific coming up on Thursday. HPU has won 12 straight.
 
UP NEXT
Seattle Pacific returns to Brougham Pavilion next week, taking on Simon Fraser and arch-rival Western Washington. The Clan come to town on Thursday, Feb. 8, followed by the Vikings on Saturday, Feb. 10. Both games tip off at 7:00 p.m. SPU beat both teams on the road, 75-63 at WWU and 74-63 at Simon Fraser.
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                Conference          Overall
Alaska Anchorage         11-1        18-2
Seattle Pacific          10-2        16-3
Northwest Nazarene       10-2        14-3
Montana State Billings    8-4        15-7
Central Washington        8-4        12-8
Concordia-Portland        5-7        11-9
Simon Fraser              4-8         9-11
Western Oregon            4-8         8-10
Western Washington        4-8         8-12
Saint Martin's            2-10        6-14
Alaska Fairbanks          0-12        4-14