Complete GNAC release (HTML)       
       GNAC preseason poll and team capsules (PDF)
      Falcons schedule (HTML) 

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Seattle Pacific Falcons have been picked for a ninth-place in the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball season.
 
In the preseason poll released on Tuesday, SPU received 39 points in the voting by conference coaches.
 
Central Washington, Western Washington, and Alaska Anchorage were in a near dead heat for the favorite's role. Central collected five first-place votes and 109 points. Western had three firsts and 107 points; Anchorage got the other three firsts and 104 points.
 
Seattle Pacific is coming off an 8-19 campaign in 2018-19, including a 7-13 record in the GNAC, as all five starters from the previous season's NCAA-qualifying team graduated. Nevertheless, the Falcons stayed in a hunt for a spot in the GNAC Tournament all the way into the final weekend of the season.
 
 

Heading into the new campaign, second-year head coach Mike Simonson has one starter back in 5-foot-7 senior guard Hailee Bennett. She averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and shot 87.8 percent at the foul line.
 
A total of five other letterwinners return, four of whom saw extensive playing time with some occasional starting duty. Kaprice Boston, a junior 5-10 guard averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds. Senior 5-8 guard Madi Hingston made 11 starts in the 26 games she played, averaging 5.0 points, 2.1 boards, and 2.0 assists.
 
Also back are 6-2 sophomore forward Natalie Hoff (3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, .492 field goal shooting), and 5-11 sophomore guard / forward Ashley Alter (3.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, .875 free throw shooting). Rachel Berg, a 5-9 redshirt sophomore guard, saw limited playing time.
 
A pair of talented transfers are coming aboard. Junior 5-10 forward Ashlynn Burgess led Wenatchee Valley Community College to the Northwest Athletic Conference championship by averaging 18.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and shooting .537 from the floor. Abril Rexach Roure, a native of Spain, starred at Eastern Wyoming, averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.
 
The Falcons tip off the season with an exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 2 against Puget Sound. Tip-off in Brougham Pavilion is at 4:00 p.m. The official season opener is against host Humboldt State at the West Region Challenge on Friday, Nov. 8, in Arcata, Calif. That one starts at 7:00 p.m.
 
SPU's home opener will be in the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23. Concordia-Portland, Colorado Mines, and Regis University of Denver will be in town for the two-day tournament. 
 

2019-20 GNAC PRESEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
Pos.	Team (1st Place Votes)	Overall Record	GNAC Record (Place)	Pts.
1.	Central Washington (5)	18-11	12-8 (4th)	109
2.	Western Washington (3)	17-13	11-9 (Tie 5th)	107
3.	Alaska Anchorage (3)	30-3	19-1 (1st)	104
4.	Northwest Nazarene	29-3	18-2 (2nd)	88
5.	Simon Fraser	17-11	13-7 (3rd)	78
6.	Concordia	16-13	11-9 (Tie 5th)	66
7.	Montana State Billings	12-14	8-12 (7th)	57
8.	Saint Martin's	7-21	5-15 (Tie 9th)	42
9.	Seattle Pacific	8-19	7-13 (8th)	39
10.	Western Oregon	8-18	5-15 (Tie 9th)	23
11.	Alaska	4-22	1-19 (11th)	15
Votes awarded on 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.