GNAC TOURANAMENT SCHEDULE
All game at Alaska Airlines Center / Anchorage, Alaska
All times PACIFIC
 
FIRST ROUND: Thursday, March 1
GAME 1:   (4) Montana State Billings (19-11) vs. (5) Central Washington (15-13), 6:15 p.m.
GAME 2:   (3) Seattle Pacific (21-6) vs. (6) Simon Fraser (14-14), 8:30 p.m.
 
SEMIFINALS: Friday, March 2
GAME 3:   Winner 1 vs. (1) Northwest Nazarene (22-3), 6:15 p.m.
GAME 4:   Winner 2 vs. (2) Alaska Anchorage (25-3), 8:30 p.m.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 3
GAME 5:   Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, 8:30 p.m.


          Live Webcasts (all games)        Live stats (all games)
          Championship game live streaming
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF) 

SEATTLE – The women's basketball postseason is here. And so is Seattle Pacific.
 
The Falcons fly off to Alaska this week for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament, set for the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
 
Awaiting No. 3 seed SPU in a first-round game on Thursday is No. 6 Simon Fraser. The Falcons (21-6) and Clan (14-14) tip off at 8:30 p.m. Pacific time. It'll be their third meeting of the year. Seattle Pacific won the first two, 74-63 on the road, and 68-49 at home.
 
The winner of that one will get the challenge of facing No. 2 seeded Alaska Anchorage on the Seawolves' home floor in a Friday semifinal, also at 8:30 p.m. UAA tied Northwest Nazarene for the conference crown with identical 18-2 records. But the Nighthawks got the No. 1 seed on a tiebreaker.
 
The championship game is set for Saturday with another 8:30 p.m. tip-off.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
All tournament games for both the men and the women will have free live Webcasts and live stats. The appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
In addition, both of Saturday's championship games will be live streamed on ESPN3. That link also is at the top of this story.
 
FIRST OF TWO TOURNEYS? FALCONS HOPING SO
After a two-year absence from the NCAA Division II Tournament, Seattle Pacific finds itself on the brink of getting back into it.
 
The Falcons begin the week at No. 6 in the NCAA West Region rankings. That's the same spot they've had for all three sets of regular-season rankings. The final set was released on Wednesday.
 
At the end of this weekend, the winners of the West's three conference tournaments – GNAC, California Collegiate Athletic Association, and Pacific West Conference – will have an automatic spot in the eight-team regional bracket.
 
The other five lines will be filled the five highest-ranked teams among the non-tournament winners. Northwest Nazarene, UC San Diego (CCAA) and Azusa Pacific (Pac West) begin the week as the top seeds.
 
Although No. 6 starts the weekend above the cutoff line, it's not a guaranteed ticket to the NCAAs. In 2014, the Falcons also were No. 6 heading into the GNAC Tournament But three teams below them – No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (CCAA), No. 9 Western Washington (GNAC) and No. 10 Academy of Art (Pac West) all won their tournaments and the automatic berths. That meant the teams ranked 1 through 5 got the five at-large spots, and SPU was bumped out.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS: 21-6, 15-5 GNAC (3^rd)
At 21-6, SPU has its best record entering the GNAC Tournament since 2015, when it entered the postseason with a 21-5 record.
 
The Falcons were quick out of the blocks when the season opened last November, winning their first six games. That streak included some noteworthy outcomes against tough opponents: 80-69 at then-No. 16 Azusa Pacific on Nov. 17, and then a 65-59 come-from-behind win against UC San Diego the next night. The Cougars and Tritons lost just two more games the rest of the season.

 

After the 2018 calendar year got off to a rough start with a 58-57 loss at home to eventual GNAC co-champion Northwest Nazarene, Seattle Pacific strung together seven wins in a row. The highlight of that streak was a 66-48 wire-to-wire victory against then-No. 4 Alaska Anchorage on Jan.20 in Brougham Pavilion. It also included road wins at Western Washington, Simon Fraser, and Montana State Billings.
 
Only once did SPU lose two in a row, falling 70-68 at Central Washington on Feb. 1, and 77-70 at NNU on Feb. 3. After that, the team won five of its final six to reach 20 wins for the first time since 2015 and secure the No. 3 seed to the conference tournament.
 
The experience-laden Falcons went with a senior starting five for most of the season. In fact, for 20 of the 27 games, it was the same five of Rachel Shim, Lindsay Lee, Jordan McPhee, Courtney Hollander, and Julia Haining. Senior Erica Pagano got two starts. The only non-senior on the floor at the opening tip was junior guard Jaylee Albert for five games when Shim was out with an injury.
 
McPhee (14.4, No. 5 in the GNAC) and Hollander (12.1, No. 17) are the only two Falcons with double-figure scoring averages. Both are also solid rebounders at 5.9 and 6.1, respectively. Haining leads the way on the boards at 7.3 per game (No. 3 in the GNAC), along with 8.2 points. She is also the team's best shooter from the floor at 48.6 percent (No. 9).
 
In addition to her scoring and rebounding, McPhee gets it done defensively, as she is tied for No. 4 in steals in the conference (2.0) and No. 10 in blocked shots (0.7).
 
SCOUTING THE SIMON FRASER CLAN: 14-14, 9-11 GNAC (6^th)
All-time series: Simon leads 21-12. Current series streak: SPU won 2. This year: SPU, 74, Simon 63 (Jan. 13 at Burnaby); SPU 68, Simon 49 (Feb. 8 at Seattle). Clan on the Web.
Clan in a nutshell: Two weeks ago, Simon Fraser was on the outside looking in at the conference tournament. It had a 5-10 record, two games behind Western Washington. But the Clan then won four of their last five. That included three in a row at home to finish the season: 85-73 in overtime against Central Washington, 79-77 against Western Washington, and 77-74 against Montana State Billings. Then, they watched last Saturday as Western and Concordia – both of which could have matched the Clan's nine wins – instead both lost their season-ending games, securing the sixth and final seed for Simon. There are four players averaging in double figures for the Clan, led by the 14.2 of 5-11 junior forward Sophie Swant, which ranks No. 6 in the GNAC. Tayla Jackson, a 6-3 junior center, averages 12.1 per game; 6-0 sophomore guard Nicole VanderHelm is at 11.0, and 5-9 freshman guard Jessica Jones is at 10.0. Swant is tops on the boards at 5.8 per game. Jackson reached double digits against the Falcons in both games, with 14 in Burnaby and 10 in Seattle. Swant was limited to 5 points in Burnaby, then tallied 10 in Seattle.

SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- This is the eighth GNAC Tournament. The Falcons have played in seven of them.
-- Their only miss was in 2016.
-- SPU has played nine conference tournament games altogether, posting a 3-6 record.
-- All three wins have come in the first round, in which the Falcons have a 3-2 record.
-- They split last year's two games: a 70-60 win over Northwest Nazarene in the first round, and a 76-68 loss to Anchorage in the semifinals.

--The Falcons have met Simon Fraser three times in the tournament and come up short in all three: 69-61 in 2012 (first round), 66-55 in 2013 (semifinals), and 87-79 in 2014 (first round). That's the most games against any one school in the tournament for SPU.
-- Of this year's other tournament qualifiers, Seattle Pacific has met Anchorage twice, Montana State Billings once, and Northwest Nazarene once. It has never played a tournament game against Central Washington.
-- No shortage of SPU connections on the sidelines. NNU head coach Steve Steele served as the lead assistant for the Falcons in 2013-14, 14-15, and 15-16. Central head coach Randi Richardson was the second assistant in 13-14 and 14-15. Central graduate assistant coach Stacey Lukasiewicz was a four-year Falcon from 2013-17, playing in 112 of SPU's 113 games during that span.
-- Jordan McPhee came up big in both Simon Fraser games this season, with 26 points in Burnaby and another 16 in Seattle. In the two games combined, she hit 12 of 22 from the field.
-- In the game at Simon Fraser, McPhee was even sharper at the foul line. She hit 13 of 14 (92.9 percent), tying the single-game school record for free throw accuracy.
-- In fact, the Falcons as a team took more free throws in that game (34, hitting 26) than in any other game this season.
-- Seattle Pacific is 11-5 outside of Brougham Pavilion this winter. That includes 2-1 in neutral court games (which Thursday's will be) and 9-4 in true road games.
-- Coach Julie Heisey is 9-10 vs. Simon Fraser. If the Falcons win and face Alaska Anchorage in the semifinals, she is 13-19 vs. the Seawolves.
 
LET'S GO TO THE REPLAY
-- Courtney Hollander posted a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds last Thursday, leading the Falcons to that 20^th victory, 73-68 against Western Oregon.
-- Jordan McPhee scored 19 points, and fellow seniors Julia Haining, Rachel Shim, and Courtney Hollander joined her in double figures as the Falcons saw most of a 24-point lead vanish before hanging on to beat Concordia-Portland in last Saturday's regular-season finale, 72-65.
 
'TWAS A GRAND NIGHT AGAINST CLAN
Jordan McPhee and Courtney Hollander certainly will have more important things on their minds this week than individual stats. But at some point, both of them might look back with fond memories of their last game against Simon Fraser.

 

That one, on Feb. 8, was the night both of them scored their 1,000^th career points. They were the 23^rd and 24^th Falcons to do so. It was the fourth time two Falcons had reached a grand in the same year, but the first time two had made it on the same night.
 
At game time, McPhee was just two points away. She got there with a bank shot off the backboard latein the first quarter. Hollander needed 11 points, and got six in the first half. Within the first minute of the second half, she scored the other five,  on a deep two-pointer, then on a trey.
 
McPhee is now No. 18 on SPU's all-time scoring list with 1,085 points. Hollander is just six points away from joining the top 20. She comes into Thursday's game with 1,064. The current occupant of No. 20 is Michelle Beaumont, with 1,070 from 2002-05.
 
ONE OF THE SMARTEST IN THE WEST
Already with one academic award this season, Jordan McPhee has added another one, earning a place on the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.
 
McPhee's near-perfect 3.98 grade-point average as a business administration major tied for the highest among the six players on the West squad. The district team is comprised of athletes from the GNAC, CCAA, and Pacific West Conference.
 
Earlier, McPhee was one of seven Falcons named to the GNAC All-Academic team.
 
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
McPhee is on the brink of the SPU program record for most free throws made in a single season. She has drained 123 (of 160 attempts) at the line this winter.
 
That is the third-highest total ever, pushing her past Katie Benson, who hit 121 (of 157) in 2013-14. The only players who have made more are Kelley Berglund with 124 (of 167) in 2002-03, and record holder Jan Bolton with 128 (of 183) in 1991-92.
 
Other milestones In reach
100th point            Hailee Bennett (has 98)
100th steal            Rachel Shim (has 99)
200th free throw   Courtney Hollander (has 184)
500th point           Rachel Shim (has 491)
700th rebound      Courtney Hollander (has 678)
 
Made last week
100th free throw   Rachel Shim (has 102)
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
Courtney Hollander (4 season / 18 career)
11 pts-11 reb vs. Humboldt State, Nov. 10
10 pts-10 reb at Fresno Pacific, Nov. 11
12 pts-12 reb at Western Oregon, Dec. 2
21 pts-10 reb vs. Western Oregon, Feb. 22
 
Julia Haining (2 season / 2 career)
13 pts-16 reb vs. Humboldt State, Nov. 10
14 pts-17 reb at Concordia-Portland, Nov. 30
 
Jordan McPhee (2 season / 4 career)
19 pts-10 reb vs. Oklahoma Christian, Dec. 18
16 pts-10 reb vs. Simon Fraser, Feb. 8
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Among the 320 programs in D2, SPU is …
-- 30th in assist / turnover ratio (1.13)
-- 32nd in assists per game (16.0)
-- 39th in total assists (432)
-- 42nd in fewest turnovers (383)
-- 45th in total steals (266)
-- 46th in steals per game (9.9)
-- 46th in fewest turnovers per game (14.2)
-- 49th in free throw percentage (.752)
 
Individually, Jordan McPhee ranks 38th nationally in free throws made with 123, and 44th in free throws attempted with 160.
 
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.
 
AROUND THE WEST
It's conference tournament in the GNAC, California Collegiate Athletic Association, and Pacific West.
 
While the six-team GNAC Tournament takes place in Anchorage on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the eight-team CCAA Tournament starts with quarterfinal games on the campus sites of the four higher-seeded teams, also on Thursday. UC San Diego, having finished regular-season play at 21-1, five games ahead of runner-up Cal Poly Pomona (16-6), is the top seed. The Tritons are 25-3 overall, and bring a 10-game winning streak into the tournament. They and Pomona (19-8 overall) are the only two CCAA teams with fewer than 10 losses.
 
In the Pac West Tournament, Azusa Pacific gained a tie for the conference championship with an 81-63 rout of Hawaii Pacific in Honolulu last Thursday. The Sharks had won 19 straight games, including a 73-69 decision at Azusa in January. Both teams finished 18-2 in conference play. APU was 27-3 overall; HPU was 24-3, the only two teams in that circuit with fewer than 10 defeats. Azusa is the No. 1 seed for the six-team conference tournament, and Hawaii Pacific is No. 2. All games will take place at Cal Baptist in Riverside.
 
 
GNAC FINAL STANDINGS
                                                Conference          Overall
Alaska Anchorage        18-2         25-3
Northwest Nazarene      18-2         22-3
Seattle Pacific         15-5         21-6
Montana State Billings  12-8         19-11
Central Washington      11-9         15-13
Simon Fraser             9-11        14-14
Concordia-Portland       8-12        14-14
Western Washington       8-12        12-16
Western Oregon           7-13        11-15
Saint Martin's           4-16         8-20
Alaska Fairbanks         0-20         4-22