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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 –
Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 –
Alaska Fairbanks at Seattle Pacific, 4:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
• Webcast for both games: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1iS12FsEzoRas8fmcWzaA/live
• LiveStats for both games: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
 
Fresh off a 92-88 upset road victory at 23rd-ranked Western Washington, Seattle Pacific plays a pair of games in Brougham Pavilion this week as part of the school's annual Homecoming festivities. The fourth-place Falcons (12-7, 7-5 GNAC) host Alaska Anchorage (9-11, 5-7) on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Seawolves had lost in seven straight trips to Seattle before posting an 83-81 overtime decision last season. On Saturday, Feb. 3 Alaska Fairbanks (9-9, 7-5) visits SPU for the Homecoming Game at  4 p.m. SPU won 19 of the last 21 encounters with the Nanooks, including a 95-79 victory on Jan. 4 in Fairbanks.
 
Get Your Tickets
Individual game tickets for SPU men's basketball games can be obtained at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Reserved seats for Falcon men's basketball are $10. General admission tickets are priced at $7 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling 206-281-2393 in advance.
 
Reunited Teammates
Two former pairs of teammates will be on opposite benches in Thursday's SPU clash with Alaska Anchorage. Falcons senior EJ Poulsen is a product of Galena High School in Reno, Nevada where he played alongside UAA junior guard Josiah Wood. Also on the Seawolves roster is junior Malik Clements, a transfer from North Dakota State where he played on the same squad at SPU sophomore Trey Miller.


 
Sharp Shooters
When the Falcons shoot well, they win. They have a 9-0 record this season when shooting 50 percent or better and are 10-2 when posting a higher percentage from the field than foes. SPU is shooting 47.8 percent (143 of 1112) as a team, reaching the 50-percent mark nine times. They hit 59-percent of their shots (33 of 56) in the Dec. 18 win at Stanislaus State. Six Falcons are making as many or more shots than they miss, led by the 55-percent accuracy (83 of 151) of Gavin Long. SPU's best 3-point shooter is Gabe Colosimo at 45 percent (19 of 42). Five players are making free throws at better than an 80-percent clip, topped by the 89.4 percent accuracy of Nikhil Lizotte (59 of 66).
 
Falcons Fast Facts
Seven different players have been SPU's game scoring leader at least once in 2017-18 ... The Falcons have an 8-0 record when holding foes under 80 points ... Nathan Streufert's 16 rebounds on Jan. 25 at Simon Fraser were the most for a Falcon this season as were Gavin Long's 26 points ... SPU utilized seven different starting lineups ... Six different Falcons had a five-assist game ... SPU outrebounded 14 opponents, outboarding foes by 6.2 per game (38.6–32.4) ... The school single-game record was tied with 11 blocked shots on Nov. 17 versus Concordia-Irvine, led by seven from Streufert.
 
Scouting Alaska Anchorage (9-11, 5-7 GNAC)
> The Seawolves lost six of their last eight games, including a 72-62 loss to sixth-ranked Western Oregon on Saturday in their last outing.
 
> UAA features 6-foot-9 senior forward Jacob Lampkin from Bellevue, Wash. The O'Dea High School product leads the team with 15.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
 
> The Falcons won this season's first meeting 57-54 on Jan. 6 in Anchorage to even the all-time series at 37-37. That was their fourth win in the last five visits to UAA. SPU won nine of the last 12 encounters overall.
 
> The Seawolves dealt SPU its most lopsided loss since 1998 with an 85-49 rout on Dec. 29, 2016 in Anchorage.
 
Scouting Alaska Fairbanks (9-9, 7-5 GNAC)
> The Nanooks eked out a 63-62 home win over Concordia (Ore.) on Saturday to even their overall record at 9-9 and move in a fourth-place GNAC tie with SPU at 7-5.
 
> Fairbanks features four double-digit scorers: Michael Kluting (12.1 ppg), Alex Baham (12.0), Davis Kimble (11.6) and Joe Lendway (10.1).
 
> Mick Durham is in his seventh year as head coach at UAF. The former Montana State coach has a 1-12 record against SPU.
 
> The Falcons lead the all-time series 61-16 and won 19 of the last 21 encounters. SPU swept the 2017 season series and was a 95-79 victor on Jan. 4, 2018 in Fairbanks.
 
Wonderful Wooten
Junior Coleman Wooten earned Sodexo Classic MVP honors for the second straight season after compiling 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting while adding 10 rebounds and nine assists in the two-game tournament, Nov. 17-18. Wooten leads SPU in assists (61) and rebounds (6.8 rpg) while scoring at a 9.8-point clip on 52-percent shooting accuracy. He netted a season-high 21 points on Jan. 18 versus MSU Billings. On Jan. 17, 2017 Wooten erupted for a career-high 35 points at Saint Martin's. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while leading the Falcons with 72 assists last season. Wooten has 13 career games of 20 points or more and 11 double-digit rebounds games, collecting a career-high 16 caroms on Nov. 18, 2016.
 
Ailing Falcons
For the second straight season, a slew of injuries have depleted the SPU roster. Sophomore Sharif Khan and junior Sam Simpson are sidelined for the season. Sophomore forward Tony Miller is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. His brother, sophomore Trey Miller, has been limited to six games due to injury. Trey transferred from North Dakota State and was an injury red-shirt last season. That leaves 10 available players. The Falcons lost 53 combined games due to injury/illness this season, leaving Gavin Long and Coleman Wooten as the only players to start all 18 games.
 
Missing Miller
Sophomore Tony Miller's availability is uncertain due to a shoulder injury. He was sidelined the last seven games. Miller's 18.0-point average leads SPU. Honored as the 2017 GNAC Freshman of the Year, he finished No. 11 nationally with 15 double-doubles. In 2017, Miller ranked No. 4 among GNAC scorers (19.0 ppg), with three 30-point performances, and No. 3 in rebounds (9.7 rpg).
 
Terrific Transfer
Junior Nikhil Lizotte ranks third on the team with 10.0 points per game, including 10 double-figure performances. All of his SPU-high 20 points on Nov. 24 came after halftime. Lizotte joined the team after transferring from Humboldt State where he started all 29 games last season. The 5-foot-9 guard led the Lumberjacks in 3-pointers (75) and was second in scoring (13.8 ppg). Lizotte is a graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash.
 
Coach Leep
Grant Leep, 37, is in his second season directing the SPU men's basketball program, his first head coaching assignment after seven years as an assistant on the Falcons staff. He has a 24-23 career record. Leep coached the 2017 team to a 12-16 record, including an 8-10 GNAC mark. He has strong basketball ties throughout the Northwest as an All-America player at Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School before lettering four years at Washington. Leep still owns the Huskies 3-point accuracy records for a season (52.7% in 2002) and career (42.9%). His coaching resumé includes stops at Eastern Washington and a pair of community colleges. SPU had a 165-51 (.764) record during his time as an assistant.
 
2018 Season Preview
A talented, young core featuring three returning starters joins a trio of productive regulars who are back from injuries that sidelined them last season. Four of the top-five scorers return, including the top-two point producers from a year ago. Tony Miller was honored as the 2017 GNAC Freshman of the Year after ranking No. 11 nationally with 15 double-doubles. The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward averaged 19.0 points and 9.7 rebounds last season. Coleman Wooten is a 6-foot-5 junior forward who garnered All-GNAC honorable mention acclaim. He averaged 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 2017, ranking second on the team in both categories. Wooten led the Falcons with 72 assists. Sophomore guard Gavin Long average 10.7 points while leading the team in field goal (60.1%) and 3-point (45.8%) percentage. The cast of remaining returnees is headlined by sharpshooters Sharif Khan and Hunter Eisenhower, along with junior post man Nathan Streufert. One transfer will vie for immediate playing time, Nikhil Lizotte, who averaged 13.8 points last year at Humboldt State. Guard Braden Olsen, from West Linn, Ore. is the lone freshman.
 
2017 Season Review
A challenging combination of injuries, youth and the absence of any returning starters hampered the SPU men in their first season under Coach Grant Leep. Key veterans Sam Simpson and Gabe Colosimo were sidelined with injuries along with North Dakota State transfer Trey Miller. The Falcons completed the 2017 season with a 12-16 record, tying for ninth in the GNAC standings at 8-12. They had a 12-year playoff run halted, a figure that was the longest active streak among NCAA Division II men's basketball programs. Tony Miller was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year after leading the Falcons in points (19.0 ppg) and rebounds (9.7 rpg). Coleman Wooten was second on the team in both categories (17.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and was an honorable mention All-GNAC honoree.
 
Next Week
The SPU men embark on their final road trip, a four-game stretch that takes them to league-leading Western Oregon (Feb. 8), Concordia-Portland (Feb. 10), Saint Martin's (Feb. 13) and Montana State Billings (Feb. 17).