Box score, play-by-play (HTML)
 
SEATTLE – They kept the highest-scoring team in the conference 25 points below its average.
 
But their own struggles on offense prevented the Seattle Pacific Falcons from taking advantage of what they accomplished on defense.
 
SPU went more than seven minutes without a point during the third quarter, and a fourth-quarter comeback fell short Thursday as they dropped a 58-57 decision to Northwest Nazarene in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game in Brougham Pavilion.

 

Jordan McPhee pumped in 13 points, but was the only player in double figures for SPU (9-3, 3-2 GNAC). Julia Haining, Courtney Hollander, Lindsay Lee, and Erica Pagano added eight points apiece.
 
The Nighthawks (8-2, 4-1 GNAC) arrived averaging a GNAC-high 83.3 points per game, nearly five more than the next-best scoring team (78.9 for Alaska Anchorage). They had been in the 90s three times, and in the 80s twice. Seattle Pacific was the first team to keep them below 60.
 
But 17 straight Falcon possessions without a point (10 missed shots, seven turnovers) during a span of 7:18 in the third quarter ultimately made the difference, even though they twice got as close as one inside the final two minutes of the game.
 
"If you can hold anyone to 58, you're going to win most of your games," head coach Julie Heisey said. "We defended, we rebounded, we went long stretches without scoring but didn't hang our heads, and I appreciate that.
 
"But obviously, we have to take care of the ball in crucial situations, and we have to look to attack. I felt like we played a little bit safe, and that caused us to lose our flow."
 
The Falcons, up 34-33 at halftime, pushed it out to 39-35 on a turnaround two-foot bank shot by Hollander with 8:02 left in the third quarter.
 
But from there, Seattle Pacific missed seven straight shots as the Nighthawks (8-2, 4-1 GNAC) edged back in front, 41-39. The Falcons then turned the ball over on six straight possessions, and NNU stretched its lead to 47-39.
 
SPU finally got back on the board with 44 seconds left in the third on a pair of free throws by Haining. Then, on the final possession of the quarter, Haining rebounded a missed shot by Hollander and hit a putback from a foot to the left of the hoop at the buzzer sounded, trimming Northwest Nazarene's lead to 48-43 heading into the fourth.
 
A 6-0 run inside the final four minutes of the game helped the Falcons trim a 56-49 deficit to 56-55 with 1:42 left. Danielle Jardine's jumper at the 1:19 mark gave the Nighthawks a 58-55 lead, but McPhee got it back down to one at 58-57 on a driving lay-in with 39 seconds to go.
 
McPhee then rebounded a missed lay-up by NNU's Marina Valles with nine seconds left, and the Falcons drove the ball upcourt. It was knocked out of bounds under their basket with 1.6 to go, and they called their final timeout.
 
Lee inbounded to McPhee, but Coco Gall forced a jump ball with two-tenths of a second left – and the possession arrow favored Northwest Nazarene.
 
NNU called timeout, advanced the ball to front court, inbounded, and hung on to the final buzzer.
 
 

"Tonight, it's really disappointing because we did so many things well," Heisey said. "But to have seven turnovers in one quarter when we had just five in the first half, that doesn't help.
 
"But credit NNU – obviously, their defense disrupted us a little bit," she added. "We just need to put a whole 40 minutes together. We need to find consistency in our shooting, and find a way to find some flow."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- The Falcons had one more field goal (23-22), four more shots (58-54), four more rebounds (36-32, including 12-9 at the offensive end), more assists (14-10) and fewer turnovers (19-18) than NNU.
-- SPU limited the Nighthawks to 40.7 percent shooting (22 of 54). They came as the best-shooting team in the GNAC at 45.8. However, Seattle Pacific shot just 39.7 percent (23 of 58).
-- The Nighthawks won in Brougham for the third straight year.
 
UP NEXT
Seattle Pacific plays host to Central Washington on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The Wildcats hung on for a 49-46 win at Saint Martin's on Thursday.


NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Northwest Nazarene 58, Seattle Pacific 57
 
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (8-2, 4-1 GNAC)
Raquel Jardine 1-6 2-2 4, Coco Gall 5-7 0-0 11, Lexi Tubbs 2-7 3-4 8, McKenna Walker 1-4 0-0 2, Kaitlyn Merritt 2-4 0-0 6.Marina Valles 5-12 0-1 10, Avery Albrecht 4-8 2-2 12, Danielle Jardine 2-4 1-2 5, Zoe Wessels 0-1 0-0 0, Carly Parker 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 8-11 58.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (9-3, 3-2 GNAC)
Julia Haining 4-8 0-0 8, Rachel Shim 2-3 2-3 6, Jordan McPhee 6-13 1-4 13, Courtney Hollander 3-15 2-2 8, Lindsay Lee 3-8 0-0 8, Riley Evans 1-1 0-0 3, Jaylee Albert 1-4 0-0 3, Hailee Bennett 0-1 0-0 0, Erica Pagano 3-5 2-2 8, Carly Rataushk 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 7-11 57.
 
Northwest Nazarene           24             9          15          10            -- 58
Seattle Pacific                     20           14            9           14           -- 57
 
3-point goals – NNU 6-15 (Gall 1-2, Tubbs 1-3, Walker 0-2, Merritt 2-3, Valles 0-1, Albrecht 2-3, Parker 0-1), SPU 4-14 (Shim 0-1, Hollander 0-2, Lee 2-7, Evans 1-1, Albert 1-3). Fouled out – None.. Rebounds – NNU 32 (R. Jardine 7), SPU 36 (Haining 7). Assists – NNU NNU 10 (Valles 3), SPU 14 (Hollander 4). Turnovers – NNU 19, SPU 18. Total fouls – NNU 15, SPU 17. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 271.
 
 
Next game
Central Washington at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion