Seattle Pacific University Athletics

        Box score, play-by-play (HTML)
 
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – They caught all the way up from a double-digit deficit. They just couldn't catch a break with time running out.
 
The Seattle Pacific Falcons stormed back from 10 points down in the final 4½ minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game, but Humboldt State's Alexia Thrower hit a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left on Saturday night to give the Lumberjacks a 79-77 victory at the Western Washington West Region Crossover Classic women's basketball tournament.
 
Sophomore guard Hailee Bennett led the Falcons (0-2) with a career-high 14 points, and was one of three players in double figures for SPU (0-2). Cici West added 13, and Riley Evans tallied 12.
 
The result in Carver Gymnasium halted Seattle Pacific's 29-game winning streak in the series against Humboldt State, which stretched back to Dec. 30, 1993.
 
 

SPU was down 70-60 with 4:32 left on Saturday, then went on a 17-7 run to get back into it. The Falcons tied it at 77-77 on a turnaround four-foot jumper by freshman Ashley Alter with 36 seconds remaining.
 
After getting a defensive stop, the Falcons had a chance at the go-ahead basket. But Kaprice Boston's try wouldn't go. A loose ball foul was whistled on SPU's Cici West on the ensuing scramble for the rebound, sending Thrower to the line for Humboldt. She hit both with 1.3 seconds to go.
 
"We've been gritty and improving every game to the point where we really wanted to withstand runs," head coach Mike Simonson said. "Last game (an 80-69 loss to Fresno Pacific on Friday night), we didn't do a good job of that. This time, we truly responded to being down 10 to fight all the way – and we did it by getting defensive stops."
 
Seattle Pacific was ahead for most of the first half and took a 35-27 lead into the locker room at the break. Humboldt State, which knocked off host Western Washington by a 66-56 score on Friday night, went on a 9-1 run midway through the third quarter to turn a 43-39 deficit into a 48-44 lead.
 
"We were up at halftime and playing well. Then we lost the third quarter (25 points to 14), and that really crushed us," Simonson said. "We got into the fourth and they were just making runs. Then we made a late run."
 
Tied at 56-56 early in the fourth, the Lumberjacks put together a 14-4 surge to build a 70-60 advantage with 4:32 on the clock.
 
It was still an eight-point gap at 77-69 when Falcons senior guard Riley Evans buried a 3-pointer at the 1:44 mark to make it 77-72. West completed a traditional three-point play at 56 seconds to bring SPU within 77-75. Then a steal by Boston led to Alter's basket that tied it at 77-77.
 
"We learned again, we improved again," Simonson said. "Now is the time to execute, and hopefully, we can see some success with this group soon."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 

-- Cici West, who was named to the All-Tournament team, finished with her first Seattle Pacific double-double, collecting 10 rebounds to go along with her 13 points. She was just one rebound away from a double-double on Friday against Fresno Pacific.
-- The Falcons shot a respectably 47.5 percent from the floor (28 of 59), but Humboldt State blistered the basket at a 64 percent clip (32 of 50). Every Lumberjacks player who took a shot hit at least 50 percent, as all five starters reached double figures, led by the 18 points apiece of Isamar Conde and Tyra Turner.
--SPU had six players at 50 percent or better, with senior guard Jaylee Albert at 75 percent (3 of 4).
 
UP NEXT
Seattle Pacific begins its home schedule this coming week by hosting the Sodexo Classic on Friday and Saturday in Brougham Pavilion. On Friday, the Falcons will face Pacific West Conference preseason favorite Azusa Pacific at 5:00 p.m.. UC San Diego, the preseason pick to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association title, will be the opponent on Saturday at 5:00. Western Washington will play the opposite opponent in the 1:00 p.m. game each day.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETALL
WWU West Region Crossover Classic
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash.
 
Humboldt State 79, Seattle pacific 77
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (0-2)
Bennett 4-10 4-4 14, West 5-10 3-3 13, Evans 4-7 2-2 12, Hoff 4-6 1-3 9, Albert 3-4 1-2 7, Skidmore 2-7 2-2 7, Rataushk 2-4 1-1 5, Boston 2-7 0-0 5, Alter 2-4 0-0 5, Cravens 0-0 0-2 2, Hingston 0-0 0-0 0, Berg 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-59 14-19 77.
 
HUMBOLDT STATE (2-0)
Turner 8-12 2-3 18, Conde 7-13 0-0 18, Hatch 5-5 3-3 16, Thrower 6-9 3-3 15, Arrington 5-10 0-1 10, Carbajal 1-1 0-0 2, Gord 0-0 0-0 0, Turkyan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-50 8-10 79.
 
Seattle Pacific     16           19           14           28           -- 77
Humboldt State  15           12           25           27           -- 79
 
3-point goals – SPU 7-17 (Evans 2-4, Bennett 2-4, Boston 1-3, Skidmore 1-2, Alter 1-2, Albert 0-1, Hoff 0-1), HSU 7-15 (Conde 4-8, Hatch 3-3, Arrington 0-4). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 29 (West 10), HSU 20 (Thrower 9). Assists – SPU 16 (Skidmore 4, Bennett 4), HSU 19 (Arrington 5, Turner 5). Turnovers – SPU 16, HSU 21. Total fouls – SPU 19, HSU 18. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 109.
 
 
Next game
Azusa Pacific at Seattle Pacific
Friday, Nov. 16     5:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.