THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Jan. 10                Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene, 4:15 p.m. PST
                                                Johnson Sports Center / Nampa, Idaho
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Saturday, Jan. 12                Seattle Pacific at Central Washington, 5:15 p.m.
                                                Nicholson Pavilion / Ellensburg, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – The long road finally comes to an end for the Seattle Pacific Falcons this week.
 
But getting there will be quite the tough challenge.
 
SPU's stretch of six straight away games, which began in mid-December, concludes with visits to undefeated and national No. 5-ranked Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, then to Central Washington on Saturday.
 
Both Great Northwest Athletic Conference games are the openers of doubleheaders. The Falcons and Nighthawks tip off at 4:15 p.m. Pacific time. The game at Central starts at 5:15 p.m.
 
The Falcons (4-7, 3-1 GNAC) are coming off a split of last week's two trips, beating Saint Martin's on Tuesday, 68-64, but falling at Montana State Billings on Saturday, 72-64.
 
Seattle Pacific will have six road games remaining after this week, but won't be away from home for any more than one weekend at a time: the Alaska schools Jan. 24-26, Simon Fraser-Western Washington on Feb. 14-16, and the Oregon schools to conclude the season Feb. 28-March 2.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Both games this week and all remaining games this season will have free live Webcasts and free live stats. The appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
FORMER FALCONS MAKING THEIR MARKS
Both of this week's opponents are led by head coaches who previously served as assistants at Seattle Pacific.
 
Steve Steele is in his third year at the helm of Northwest Nazarene. He has an overall record of 46-20, including this season's 12-0 start.
 
Randi Richardson-Thornley is in her second year as Central Washington's head coach after two years as an assistant. She has a 38-32 record, with an 8-3 mark so far this season.
 
A pair of previous Falcon players have recently moved into the administrative side of the sport as director of women's basketball operations: Stacey Lukasiewicz at Cal Baptist, and Lindsay Lee at Pepperdine. Both are NCAA Division I programs; CBU in the Western Athletic Conference, and Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference.
 




SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- The game at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday will be SPU's second this season against a nationally ranked team. The first one was on Nov. 16 at home against then-No. 16 Azusa Pacific. The Cougars won, 68-57.
-- Seattle Pacific's last victory against a top-25 squad was in last year's GNAC Tournament semifinals against host Alaska Anchorage. The Seawolves were No. 13 at the time, but the Falcons still won, 74-65.
-- SPU's win at Saint Martin's on New Year's Night was its first away from home this season. It is 1-3 in true road games and 0-2 on neutral courts.
-- The Falcons have been a streaky team so far this season – four straight losses to start, then three wins in a row, then two straight losses. Last week at Saint Martin's (win) and at Montana State Billings (loss) was the first time they split two games.
-- SPU tied a season-best by allowing just 64 points to Saint Martin's last Tuesday. Concordia-Portland also managed just 64 against the Falcons in the GNAC opener on Nov. 29.
-- In fact, the Falcons have kept four of their last six opponents in the 60s, and have won three of those games.
-- But they're still looking to tighten things up even further on defense as they try to climb off the bottom rung of the GNAC's average-points-allowed ladder at 72.7 per game.
-- Clamping down on "D' will be especially important this week, as Seattle Pacific comes up against the two highest-scoring offenses in the GNAC: 86.8 for Northwest Nazarene, 76.2 for Central Washington.
-- Last year, the Nighthawks came into both games as the GNAC's No. 1 team on offense. In Seattle, the Falcons kept them 25 points below their 83.6 average, but still lost, 58-57. A month later in Nampa, NNU was averaging 79.0 points. SPU kept the Nighthawks two points below that, but still lost, 77-70.
-- The last win for the Falcons in Nampa was 68-63 on Jan. 26, 2017.
-- Seattle Pacific and Central Washington split last year, each team winning on its home court.
-- The Wildcats' 70-68 victory in Ellensburg snapped an SPU five-game Nicholson Pavilion winning streak. The Falcons had not lost there since 2012.
-- SPU has dropped its average turnovers per game below 15, now at 14.9. The team has had fewer than 15 in six of the 11 games, including just 12 in each of last week's two contests. Senior point guard Jaylee Albert had none in 33 minutes at Saint Martin's, and just two in 31 minutes at Montana State Billings.
-- Senior center Carly Rataushk grabbed  a career-high eight rebounds at Billings.
 
SCOUTING THE NORTHWEST NAZARENE NIGHTHAWKS: 12-0, 4-0 GNAC (1^st()
All-time series: SPU leads, 32-9. Current series streak: NNU won 2. Last time: NNU 77, SPU 70 (Feb. 3, 2018 at Nampa, Idaho). Nighthawks on the Web.
Nighthawks in a nutshell: Not only is NNU winning, it is doing so convincingly. Average margin of victory through the first 12 games: 22.4 points. The closest call for the Nighthawks so far was a five-pointer against Colorado Christian in a preseason tournament, 80-75. They are the GNAC's top-scoring team at 86.8 and the No. 2 field goal shooting team at .463. They allow just 63.5 points per game, second-lowest total among GNAC teams. For all of those points it is scoring, Northwest Nazarene doesn't have anyone among the conference's top 10 scorers, although junior 5-foot-9 guard Avery Albrecht is close, ranking No. 11 at 13.3. Redshirt senior 5-9 guard Ellie Logan is at 10.8, and junior 5-8 guard Marina Valles is at 10.7.The thing is, of the 11 Nighthawks who see regular minutes, the lowest scoring average is 5.8. One player is in the 9s, two are in the 8s, and two are in the 7s. Same goes for field goal shooting: Two starters are above .500, led by the .542 of Valles, and two are in the mid to upper.400s. Rebounding is a similar story, with senior 5-11 forward Danielle Jardine's 5.8 average tied for No. 15 in the GNAC. Logan averages 5.6, with three more in the 4s and two in the 3s.
 
SCOUTING THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON WILDCATS: 8-3, 3-1 GNAC (tie 2^nd)
All-time series: SPU leads, 49-31. Current series streak: CWU won 1. Last time: CWU 70, SPU 68 (Feb. 1, 2018 at Ellensburg). Wildcats on the Web.
Wildcats in a nutshell: Central swept last week's road trip to Oregon, beating Western Oregon, 78-65, and Concordia-Portland, 66-58. The Wildcats have four of their five starters averaging in double figures, led by the 14.5 points per game of junior 5-foot-9 guard Alexis Pana, which ranks No. 5 in the GNAC. Junior 6-0 forward Kaelie Flores is at 12.0, junior 5-8 forward Taylor Shaw at 11.5, and sophomore 5-11 forward Kassidy Malcolm at 10.0. With all of that balance, it's no surprise that five different players have led Central Washington in scoring this season, Malcolm is also tough on the boards, averaging 9.0 per game, and has four double-doubles for the season, including an 18-rebound performance against Holy Names on Nov. 21. All five starters are accurate from the floor, with Pana leading the way both in overall field goal percentage (.514) and 3-point accuracy (.478). As a team, the Wildcats hit at a .482 clip. That's 105 percentage points higher than they allow their opponents to shoot (.377).
 
FALCONS REPLAY
-- Jaylee Albert pumped in a career-high 26 points – getting the last two on a pair of game-clinching free throws with three=tenths of a second left – and Cici West double-doubled with 18 points and 12 rebounds as Seattle Pacific opened 2019 with a 68-64 victory at Saint Martin's last Tuesday.
-- West scored 14 points and was one of three SPU players in double figures, but Montana State Billings had a 33-3 scoring advantage from 3-point range on the way to a 72-64 win last Saturday in Montana.
 
SIMONSON SAYS …
(On last week's two games)
"It was a conference road trip, and we split on the road. That's very important. We watched the tape of (Saturday's game at Billings) and we saw some of the positive things we did. Our defensive intensity and ability to execute our game plan was very good at times. I think we came away knowing we accomplished some things, but we have to get better in some areas."
 
 

(On Northwest Nazarene)
"They shoot it very well. A huge piece of their game is they thrive off the other team's turnovers, so taking care of the ball is very important. We can't give them any free baskets – they're tough enough to handle when you guard them well."
 
(On Central Washington)
"Central can shoot it very well, and they'll get up and down the court. We have to be ready to guard and have to be ready to execute against their defense. These teams can both make tough shots against you."
 
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
Remember last week when the top three GNAC scorers – including Falcon senior guard Riley Evans – did battle against each other?
 
This week, it'll be the top two rebounders going at it come Saturday night in Ellensburg.
 
 

SPU redshirt senior forward Cici West is atop the conference list, averaging 9.3 per game, having pulled down 102 in 11 contests so far. Right behind her is Central Washington sophomore Kassidy Malcom at 9.0 per game (99 in 11 games).
 
Both players have four double-doubles this year. West has pulled down 12 boards twice, most recently last Tuesday at Saint Martin's, when she also tallied 18 points. Malcolm has a high of 18, that coming against Holy Names on Nov. 21.
 
West and Malcolm are almost dead even as to where they get those rebounds, too. West has 69 at the defensive end, 33 at the offensive end. Malcolm's totals are 70 and 29, respectively.
 
Ironically, neither of them has the GNAC's top overall rebounding total. That distinction belongs to Saint Martin's freshman Claire Dingus, who has 108, but has played 13 games (8.3 average).
 
SHE CAN SHOOT IT, TOO
West's ability to get underneath the hoop for rebounds also works well for her in the shooting department. She is now hitting at a .598 clip, draining 52 of 87.
 
In 11 games, West has hit .500 or better in eight of them, including her current streak of four such games in a row. Her high is .833, which she has achieved twice: 5 of 6 against Fresno Pacific on Nov. 9, and 10 of 12 at Concordia Irvine on Dec. 19.
 
Depending on how the rest of the year goes, West could have a chance at the program's single-season record. That currently belongs to Valerie Gustafson, who hit .578 (196 of 339) in the 2003-04 campaign.
 
Gustafson is one of just two Falcons to finish the season in the 570s. Julia Haining did it in 2016-17 at .573. Over the years, five have shot in the .560s, three in the .550s, and three in the .540s.
 
ALTER-ING OPPONENTS' SHOTS
Freshman Ashley Alter is gradually working her way into some more minutes. Last week, she made the most of them – especially at the defensive end.
 
 

After not having any blocked shots in her first eight games as a Falcon, Alter blocked four last week. That included three in the 68-64 victory at Saint Martin's on New Year's night.
 
The biggest of those came with 34 seconds left and SPU clinging to a 65-64 lead. The Saints, in possession but with the shot clock running down, called timeout with 37.3 seconds left. The ensuing inbounds pass went to Claire Dingus in the lane, She slipped, but still got off a short one in the lane just to the left of the basket as the clock was about to expire.
 
Alter got just enough of a hand on it to keep it from reaching the rim, and Cici West grabbed the rebound. Although SPU wasn't able to turn that possession into points, it did get three more free throws from Jaylee Albert in the final seconds to clinch the win.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Among the 301 NCAA Division II program, Seattle Pacific ranks:
-- 32^nd in fewest turnovers with 164 (Minnesota Duluth 1^st with 84).
-- 53^rd in 3-point shooting percentage at .340 (Bentley 1^st at .422).
 
Individually:
-- Riley Evans 27^th in 3-point percentage at .435.
-- Evans 25^th in free throw percentage at .882.
-- Cici West 55th in rebounds per game at 9.3.
 
West was 66^th in rebound average last week, climbing 11 spots. The team was 49^th in fewest turnovers a week ago, moving up 17 places this week.

Click on this link for a complete look at how SPU stacks up nationally.
 
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
200^th assist            Jaylee Albert (has 182)
200^th rebound         Jaylee Albert (has 188)
300^th assist            Jade Skidmore (has 297)
600^th rebound         Jade Skidmore (has 593)
700^th point              Cici West (has 674)
700^th rebound         Cici West (has 691)
1,000^th point           Jade Skidmore (has 923)
 
MADE LAST WEEK
100^th field goal        Riley Evans (has 101)
300^th point             Riley Evans (has 300)
 
AROUND THE WEST
While Northwest Nazarene stretched its season-opening winning streak to 12 games, Alaska Anchorage stayed right on its heels in the GNAC. The Nighthawks (12-0, 4-0) are the last remaining undefeated team in the conference, having handed the Seawolves (11-1, 3-1) their only loss of the season back on Dec. 1. Heading into the week, it's a four-way tie for second between UAA, Central Washington, Western Washington, and SPU.
 
UC San Diego kept its record perfect, as well, climbing to 13-0 overall, 9-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal Poly Pomona joined the Tritons with double digits in the win column, now at 10-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play. Cal State San Marcos (9-4, 6-3) could get there next.
 
The Pacific West Conference has three double-digit winners. Azusa Pacific (13-2, 9-0) remains atop the standings, with Dominican next in line (10-2, 7-1). Fresno Pacific is 10-4, 6-2, but trails third-place Hawaii Pacific (8-5, 6-1) in conference play.
 
UP NEXT
For the first time since Dec. 1, the Falcons get to play at home next week. They welcome arch-rival Western Washington to Brougham Pavilion on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7:00 p.m., then Simon Fraser comes to town on Saturday the 19^th at 4:00 p.m. The contest against the Vikings will mark the midpoint of the season as the 14^th game on the 27-game schedule.
 
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                Conference          Overall
Northwest Nazarene       4-0         12-0
Alaska Anchorage         3-1         11-1
Central Washington       3-1          8-3
Western Washington       3-1          8-4
Seattle Pacific          3-1          4-7
Montana State Billings   2-2          6-4
Simon Fraser             2-2          6-5
Western Oregon           1-3          4-6
Saint Martin's           1-3          4-9
Concordia-Portland       0-4          5-7
Alaska Fairbanks         0-4          3-7