Box score (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific Falcons had the big first quarter on Saturday afternoon.
 
But Regis University had the big fourth quarter – and that ultimately made the difference.
 
The Rangers doubled up on SPU in those final 10 minutes, 22-11, wiping out the last part of an earlier double-digit deficit and went on to a 62-53 victory at the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic women's basketball tournament in Brougham Pavilion.
 
That dropped the Falcons to 0-6 on a day when it looked like they might latch onto that elusive first win.
 
"We had a great first half, and it felt like we were in control of the game," said SPU coach Mike Simonson, whose team was up 23-14 at the end of the first and 28-18 early in the second. "Kudos to Regis – they really battled hard and made good adjustments at halftime. At the end of the day, we wanted to win, but I felt like they wanted it a tiny bit more than we did."
 
 

Junior guard Abril Rexach Roure had 13 points, one of three Falcons in double figures. Burgess added 12, and Bennett chipped in 10.With a 15-14 lead, the Falcons finished the opening quarter on Iron Coaching Court with eight straight points. Then in the first two minutes of the second, a lay-in by sophomore Natalie Hoff and a 3-pointer by senior Hailee Bennett produced the 28-18 advantage.
 
Seattle Pacific was still up by eight, 42-34, late in the third quarter. But it then went scoreless for the final 3:47 of that period and the first 1:12 of the fourth while Regis put nine straight on the board for a 43-42 lead.
 
Tied at 47-47, the Rangers went in front for good on a trey by Kali Murrell, one of four 3-point daggers that they buried during that quarter.
 
The Falcons stayed within striking distance, making it a one-possession game again on a turnaround shot from two feet in front of the hoop by Burgess. That cut Regis' lead to 56-53 with 1:36 left, but SPU was kept off the board for the rest of the way
  
Burgess and Rexcach Roure both had solid shooting performances. Burgess was 5 of 9, and Rexach Roure drained 6 of 8.
 
"I thought Ashlynn got back into a good rhythm tonight," Simonson said, "and Abril had a very good game, hitting 6 of 8. It was nice to see Natalie Hoff come in and play 15 minutes." (Hoff missed the first two weekends of the season with an injury and made her debut in Friday's game against Colorado Mines with four minutes of action.)
 
Although Seattle Pacific had a 42-38 edge in rebounding, Regis (2-3) had five offensive boards during the fourth quarter and converted those into 10 points. Of their four treys during that period, two came on second chances.
 
"We've been very good at rebounding most of the year," Simonson said. "But at crucial times in this game, we were not good at rebounding the basketball."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- Burgess led SPU with nine rebounds, just one short of her second double-double of the year.
-- Along with the 42-38 rebounding advantage, the Falcons had one more field goal than Regis (21-20) and two mores assists (11-9). But the Rangers had a decided edge at the free throw line in both makes (14-7) and attempts (18-10), and twice as many treys (8-4, thanks to the fourth they nailed in the last quarter).
 
UP NEXT
Seattle Pacific will focus on practice for the next several days, as it does not return to action until the start of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on Thursday, Dec. 5, at preseason favorite Central Washington. Tip-off is at 5:15 p.m. It's an SPU-Central doubleheader in Nicholson Pavilion, as the Falcon and Wildcat men play at 7:30 p.m.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Sodexo Tip-Off Classic
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Regis 62, Seattle Pacific 53
 
REGIS (2-3)
Jacob 5-17 5-6 15, Snipes 1-8 0-2 2, O'Neill 3-9 2-2 10, Sterkel 6-11 0-0 15, Burrell 3-6 7-8 14, Daniels 0-1 0-0 0, Speights 0-0 0-0 0, M.L. Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Murrell 2-11 0-0 6, M.R. Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-63 8-22 62.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (0-6)
Burgess 5-9 2-2 12, Bennett 3-9 2-2 10, Berg 2-3 0-0 5, Rexach Roure 6-8 0-0 13, Hingston 0-9 3-4 3, Brennan 0-3 0-0 0, Brundidge 2-5 0-0 4, Alter 0-0 0-0 0, Sterk 1-4 0-0 2, Hoff 2-3 0-2 4. Totals 21-53 -10 53.
 
Regis                     14           12           14           22           -- 62
Seattle Pacific     23           11             8           11           -- 53
 
3-point goals – Regis 8-22 (Jacob 0-2, Snipes 0-2, O'Neill 2-5, Sterkel 3-4, Burrell 1-1, Murrell 2-8), SPU 4-19 (Burgess 0-1, Bennett 2-6, Berg 1-1, Rexach Roure 1-2, Hingston 0-6, Brennan 0-1, Sterk 0-2). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – Regis 38 (Jacob 11), SPU 42 (Burgess 9). Assists – Regis 9 (Burrell 4), SPU 11 (Hingston 4). Turnovers – Regis 7, SPU 16. Total fouls – Regis 12, SPU 21. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 156.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Central Washington
Thursday, Dec. 5    5:15 p.m.
Nicholson Pavilion / Ellensburg, Wash.