THE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Jan. 29                 Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Thursday, Jan. 31                Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific, 7:30 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 

        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)

SEATTLE – Home is where the wins are – or at least, that's what the Seattle Pacific Falcons are counting on as they head into the second half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball schedule.
 
After spending a considerable amount of time in their maroon jerseys – including last week's two-game trek to Alaska – SPU players will get to don their white ones for much of the final five weeks on the schedule.
 
That starts this week when the Falcons begin a four-game homestand by welcoming Saint Martin's and Montana State Billings to Brougham Pavilion.
 
The Saints will be in town on Tuesday for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. The Yellowjackets come in on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. game that will be the second half of a doubleheader. The Seattle Pacific men take on Simon Fraser in the first half, starting at 5:15 p.m.
 
The Falcons (6-11, 5-5 GNAC) are coming off a split of their trip north, beating Alaska Fairbanks last Thursday, 62-55, but falling to No. 10-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, 78-37.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Both games this week and all remaining games this season will have free live Webcasts and free live stats. Maxwell Gun will be on the play-by-play call for both contests. The appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
TICKET TALK
Ticket prices are $10 for reserved seats for all ages, $7 for adult general admission, and $5 for youths, students, and senior citizens. Children 2 and under are free. SPU students, faculty, and staff will be admitted free with a valid current identification card.
 
A new ticketing system, which will allow online ordering and payment by credit card at Brougham Pavilion ticket windows, is up and operating. Cash will continue to be accepted at the ticket windows, as well.
 
TOURNAMENT TALK
Plenty of basketball remains to be played – 10 games, to be precise. But as those games unfold, thoughts inevitably will turn toward the postseason and the GNAC Tournament.
 
The top six teams in the final standings will earn tickets to Bellingham for the three-day event in Western Washington's Carver Gymnasium. It is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday, March 7-9.
 
If that tournament were to start this week, the Falcons would be in as the No. 5 seed. At 5-5, they start the week tied with WWU for fifth place, but currently own the tiebreaker by virtue of their 61-59 win over the Vikings on Jan. 17. But of course, things could look much different five weeks from now.
 
The top two teams receive byes into the semifinals on March 8. The first round on the 7^th will pit No. 3 against No. 6, and No. 4 against No. 5 in the afternoon time slots, with the order of games being determined prior to the tournament. The semifinals also will be in the afternoon slots (noon and 2:15 p.m.). The championship game is Saturday the 9^th at 5:15 p.m.
 
SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- Seattle Pacific is looking to bounce back from a frigid offensive night at Alaska Anchorage, where it shot just 22.7 percent (first time below 30 percent since 2016), and scored just 37 points (first time below 40 since 1991).
-- The Falcons are going for a sweep of the Saint Martin's series for the third straight year.
--The most recent win for the Saints against SPU came on Jan. 5, 2016 in Lacey, 78-70.
 

-- On New Year's Night in Lacey, Seattle Pacific went on an 8-0 run in the final 2:53 to turn a 64-60 deficit into a 68-64 win. Cici West scored five of those eight points.
-- Jaylee Albert scored a career-high 26 points in that game, getting 20 of those in the first half. The last two – which tied, and then set her new high – came at the free throw line with three-tenths of a second left to clinch it.
-- Not only did Albert score that night, she handed out four assists, giving her a hand in 35 of SPU's 68 points.
-- That game was the fourth of West's five double-doubles, as she finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Her most recent one was 14 points and 18 boards at Central Washington on Jan. 12.
  -- West is still the GNAC's leading rebounder, averaging 8.8 per game. With 150 boards for the season, she needs 99 in the final 10 games to climb into SPU's single-season top-10. The No. 10 spot belongs to Megan Hoisington with 249 in 2009-10.
 

-- However, the team has had three rebounding leaders other than West the past three games: Carly Rataushk with eight against Simon Fraser, Hailey Bennett with five at Fairbanks, and Madi Hingston with a career-high six at Anchorage.
-- Overall, the Falcons are looking to step up their rebounding, having been out-rebounded in 10 of the past 11 games. (They and Central Washington each had 40 on Jan. 12). The last time SPU won the battle of the boards was 42-40 against Holy Names on Nov. 20.
-- Seattle Pacific is seeking a split against Montana State Billings. It swept last year's regular-season series, but the Jackets won the GNAC Tournament title game, 71-61.
-- When the Falcons played in Montana on Jan.5, Billings had a 33-3 scoring advantage from 3-point range, hitting 11 of 25 while SPU was just 1 of 9. That accounted for nearly half of MSUB's points in its 72-64 victory.
 

-- Sophomore guard Hailee Bennett has had a career scoring high each of the past two weeks: 17 against Western Washington on Jan. 17, and 18 at Alaska Fairbanks last Thursday.
-- The Falcons have shot better than 80 percent from the free throw line in their past four games, hitting a combined 65 of 77 (84.4 percent). That has raised their season average from .679 to .713 and their conference rank in that stat category from No. 11 into a tie for No. 7.
-- Seattle Pacific has come up with double-digit steals in five games this season, including 10 each against Saint Martin's and Billings earlier this month.
-- In the last four games, SPU has kept two opponents below 60 points, allowing 59 to Western Washington and a season-low 55 to Alaska Fairbanks. It is now giving up 71.8 per game, down from 73.8 two weeks ago.
-- Seattle Pacific is 4-3 in Brougham Pavilion. Saint Martin's is 2-7 in true road games (2-10 overall outside of Lacey) and MSUB is 2-6 in road games, 3-7 away from Billings.
 
SCOUTING THE SAINT MARTIN'S SAINTS: 4-14, 2-8 GNAC (10^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 55-16. Current series streak: SPU won 6. Last time: SPU 68, STM 64 (Jan. 1 at Lacey). Saints on the Web.
Saints in a nutshell: Saint Martin's halted an eight-game losing streak last Saturday with an 83-74 victory at Alaska Fairbanks. Don't be fooled by the record: This is a dangerous team. Aside from blowout losses at Northwest Nazarene and Alaska Anchorage, the Saints have played every other team tough, leading by eight at Central Washington going into the fourth quarter before falling by three; coming from 19 down to tie Simon Fraser with one minute left before falling by three, and leading Western Washington by 14 before the Vikings rallied to win by three. And don't forget, SPU led by 10 at halftime in Lacey on Jan. 1, then needed to come from four down with three minutes left to pull out the four-point win. Sophomore 5-foot-2 guard Saniah Simpson-Patu leads Saint Martin's at 13.9 points per game, ranking No. 9 in the GNAC. Right on her heels is 5-2 junior guard Makenna Schultz at 13.2, and 5-11 freshman guard-forward Claire Dingus at 12.4. Schultz is a threat from downtown with 43 makes, a 2.5 average that ties her for No. 3 in the GNAC.
 
SCOUTING THE MONTANA STATE BILLINGS YELLOWJACKETS: 8-8, 4-6 GNAC (tie 7^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 28-22. Current series streak: MSUB won 2. Last time: MSUB 72, SPU 64 (Jan. 5 at Billings). Yellowjackets on the Web.
Yellowjackets in a nutshell: Billings got back on the winning track last Saturday by downing Western Oregon at home, 65-53, thereby halting a three-game losing streak. The Yellowjackets have four players averaging in double figures, led by the 15.4 points of 5-foot-5 sophomore guard Hannah Collins, tying her for the GNAC lead. She has four games in the 20s this season, including a pair of 29-pointers. Collins also is one of the better passers in the conference, averaging 3.8 assists, and she has a knack for getting to the free throw line. Her 70 makes (on 81 attempts) are 11 more than the next-highest total in the GNAC, and her .864 percentage ranks No. 5. Taylor Cunningham, a 5-11 junior forward, scores at a 12.4 clip. Senior 6-foot forward Vanessa Stavish chips in 10.9 points per game, and 6-3 freshman Taryn Shelley averages 10.1. Shelley also pulls down 8.1 rebounds per game, third-best in the conference. She went for a double-double against SPU on Jan.5 in Billings with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
 
FALCONS REPLAY
-- Hailee Bennett pumped in 18 points, including a game-breaking 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, to help the Falcons get past Alaska Fairbanks last Thursday in The Patty Center, 62-55.
-- The 10^th-ranked Alaska Anchorage Seawolves went on a 20-0 scoring run bridging the first and second quarters and kept SPU without a field goal for nearly 20 minutes in rolling to a 78-37 victory last Saturday night.
 
 

SIMONSON SAYS …
(On getting right back into action after Anchorage)
"Whenever you have a tough road trip where it didn't go as you had planned, it's nice to be able to bounce right back and rinse that bad taste out of your mouth quickly."
 
(On Saint Martin's)
"They probably compete harder than anyone else in this conference. They have this admirable no-quit mentality that will be very tough on a quick turnaround. They're physical, they box out, and they limit you to one shot. We have to execute very well against them."
 
(On Montana State Billings)
"They run a lot of different looks that we have to be able to guard. We definitely need to be locked in defensively against them. They can hit shots from almost every position. We've got to guard the 3-point line well. We didn't do a great job of that last time."
 
A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN 1-2-3
When Seattle Pacific, Saint Martin's, and Montana State Billings squared off against each other during the first week of January, each of them had one of the GNAC's top three scorers. Saniah Simpson-Patu of the Saints was No. 1 at 16.6, Riley Evans of the Falcons was No. 2 at 16.3, and Hannah Collins of the Yellowjackets was No. 3 at 15.3.
 
Heading into this round, Collins is up to 15.4 points per game and is tied for the GNAC lead with Central Washington's Alexis Pana. Evans is No. 7 at 14.1, and Simpson-Patu is No. 9 at 13.9.
 
Evans tallied eight points against both teams. Simpson-Patu had 11 against the Falcons and 14 against the Yellowjackets. Collins went for 20 vs. Saint Martin's but just nine vs. SPU.
 
HALFTIME IN THE GNAC
With 10 games down and 10 games to go on the conference schedule, here are some noteworthy statistical points (counting all games, both conference and non-conference)::
 
-- The highest team ranking for the Falcons is No. 4 in 3-point shooting percentage at .344. They are No. 5 in overall field goal shooting at .410.
-- Last year at the conference midpoint, SPU was No. 8 from 3-point range at .315, and was No. 5 in overall field goal accuracy at .409.
 

-- Individually, Riley Evans is leading in scoring at 14.1, Cici West is leading in rebounds at 8.9, and Jaylee Albert is leading in assists at 4.1.
-- A year ago, Jordan McPhee led in scoring at 14.6, Julia Haining was the top rebounder at 7.9, and Lindsay Lee set the assists pace at 2.8.
-- At this same juncture in 2017-18, Evans was averaging 3.5 points, West was out for the season with an injury, and Albert was averaging 1.6 assists.
 
None of SPU's regulars was shooting .500, as Carly Rataushk was tops at .493. This year, West is well above .500, coming into the week at .546.
 
SPECIAL EVENTS COMING UP
With February approaching, some special nights are coming up on the SPU calendar.
 
The first of those is next Saturday, Feb. 9, when the Falcons celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day in Brougham Pavilion during the game against Northwest Nazarene. That one tips off at 2:00 p.m.
 
When Alaska Anchorage comes to town on Feb. 21, it will be the Night Against Women's Cancers. That one has a 7:30 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader.
 
This coming Friday is the start of Homecoming and Family Weekend on campus. Because of the Tuesday-Thursday schedule this week, the Falcons won't have a game on Saturday, but the men will host arch-rival Western Washington in the Homecoming contest at 4:00 p.m.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Among the 301 NCAA Division II program, Seattle Pacific ranks:
-- 54^th in fewest fouls committed with 291 (South Dakota Mines 1^st with 199).
-- 53^rd in 3-point shooting percentage at .344 (Shepherd 1^st at .413).
 
Individually:

-- Jaylee Albert 67th in assists per game at 4.1
-- Riley Evans 20th in 3-point percentage at .434.
-- Evans 7th in free throw percentage at .900
 
Evans stretched her streak of free throws made to 24 last week before missing one at Fairbanks on Thursday night. She hit both attempts at Anchorage on Saturday. She is still one of just 10 players in the country at 90 percent or better. Taking over the Division II lead this week is Mckayla Roberts of LeMoyne at .938, as she has hit 75 of 80. Evans has drained 45 of 50.

Click on this link to see how the Falcons stack up nationally in all statistical categories.
 
ONE NIGHT, TWO MILESTONES FOR SKIDMORE
Not only did junior guard Jade Skidmore help SPU snare a win last Thursday at Alaska Fairbanks, she surpassed a couple of personal milestones in the process.

 

Skidmore's four rebounds that night included the 600^th of her career. She comes into this week with 603. She also handed out two assists against the Nanooks, the first of which was her 300^th. She now has 303 in that department.
 
The next milestone for Skidmore will be a biggie: her 1,000^th point. She came into the year with 874 from her two seasons at Walla Walla Community College, and has added 78 for the Falcons. She is 48 away from a grand.
 
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
300^th field goal     Cici West (has 280)
400^th point           Riley Evans (has 377)
                            Carly Rataushk (has 366)                                
600^th rebound       Jade Skidmore (has 603)
1,000^th point         Jade Skidmore (has 952)
 
MADE LAST WEEK
200^th rebound       Jaylee Albert (has 201)
300^th assist          Jade Skidmore (has 303)
600^th rebound       Jade Skidmore (has 603)
 
AROUND THE WEST
Northwest Nazarene's impressive undefeated run came to an end last Saturday night at Simon Fraser – but not by much. A 3-pointer by the Clan with 21 seconds left was enough to beat the Nighthawks, 76-73. With Alaska Anchorage having won its last 10 and its only loss being to NNU, those two teams are all even at 17-1, 9-1 in the GNAC. Small wonder: They were almost even in the preseason coaches poll, with the Nighthawks earning 116 points and six first-place votes while the Seawolves had 115 points and the other five firsts. NNU hosts the Oregon schools this week; Anchorage visits Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.
 
The loss by Northwest Nazarene leaves UC San Diego as West Region's only undefeated team. The Tritons are 17-0, 13-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal Poly Pomona (16-2, 12-1) has won nine in a row. Chico State (12-5, 9-5) and Humboldt State (11-6, 9-5) both lost to San Diego last week, and face each other on Saturday in Chico.
 
Azusa Pacific is still perfect in the Pacific West Conference at 13-0, 16-2 overall and riding a 13-game win streak. Hawaii Pacific (13-5, 11-1) has taken over second place after Dominican (14-3, 11-2) lost at Point Loma Nazarene last Thursday, 82-74. Azusa and HPU clash on Wednesday in Honolulu.
 
UP NEXT
SPU plays another pair of home games next week, welcoming back two former assistant coaches. Central Washington, led by Randi Richardson-Thornley visits on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 7:00 p.m. Steve Steele's Northwest Nazarene team is in Brougham on Saturday the 9^th at 2:00 p.m. The Falcons lost to both teams on the road earlier this month, 82-74 at NNU and 77-70 at Central.
 

GNAC STANDINGS
                                                Conference          Overall
Alaska Anchorage         9-1         17-1
Northwest Nazarene       9-1         17-1
Central Washington       7-3         12-5
Simon Fraser             7-3         11-6
Western Washington       5-5         10-8
Seattle Pacific          5-5          6-11
Concordia-Portland       4-6          9-9
Montana State Billings   4-6          8-8
Western Oregon           3-7          6-10
Saint Martin's           2-8          4-14
Alaska Fairbanks         0-10         3-13