Box score (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – Finally, over the hump …
 
… and with room to spare.
 
Hailee Bennett erupted for a double-career high of 29 points and nine rebounds, Ashlynn Burgess recorded her second double-double in a Seattle Pacific uniform, and the Falcons got into the women's basketball win column on Monday night by downing Cal State Los Angeles, 80-67.
 
SPU (1-8) had fallen short in its first eight games, six of those on the road. Not only did it log a long-awaited 'W' in the non-conference contest in Brougham Pavilion, it did so with 40 solid minutes of basketball.
 
 

"It was a great program win. I felt like we executed our defense and offense exactly how we draw it up in practice," head coach Mike Simonson said. "We have been a great practice team, but it just hasn't carried over (to games).
 
"That was finally a 40-minute game of what we're capable of."
 
Senior guard Bennett recorded the first 20-point game of her Falcons career. Her previous high was 18, first set last Jan. 24 at Alaska Fairbanks, and matched against UC San Diego last month. On Monday, Bennett got 11 of her points at the free throw line, where she was 11 for 12. She hit 7 of 13 from the field, with 4 of 7 from downtown.
 
"She's consistent in practice every day. I've been waiting for her to have a night like this," Simonson said. "She had some family in the crowd, and I know she wanted to play well – and she did."
 
Junior forward Burgess put 15 points and 11 rebounds into the book, hitting 7 of 10 from the field.
 
BIG FOURTH QUARTER
Although the winning margin was 13, the Falcons entered the final period on Iron Coaching Court leading by just one at 49-48. Burgess personally pushed it up to five during the first minute of the fourth with a 10-footer from the left of the lane off a pass from Abril Rexach Roure, and then on a driving lay-in off a pass from Grace Sterk.
 
 

Cal State Los Angeles (4-7) got within 53-50 on a pair of free throws by Mackenzie Barnes with 8:42 left. But for SPU, good things then came in threes as part of a 10-0 run: a 3-pointer by Rexach Roure, a traditional three-point play by Burgess, and a 3 by Bennett. That last one was a dagger, as Bennett then got to go to the free throw line when Cal State L.A. was whistled for a bench technical. She hit one of the two free throws to make it 63-50.
 
The Golden Eagles got as close as eight at 65-57 with 5:22 to go. Freshman post player Grace Sterk answered with 3-pointer from the top of the key, and sophomore guard Rachel Berg drained a pair of free throws, pushing it back to 13 at 70-57 and only 1:58 remaining.
 
SPU racked up 31 points in the fourth – 14 of those from Bennett – and limited CSULA to 19.
 
"Throughout the game, we had to coach every possession, and we had to execute every possession. That's what I'm most proud about is I felt like we were locked in every possession," Simonson said. "We didn't get down after mistakes, and that was critical that we had that level of intensity."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- This was the second straight game Hailee Bennett had a career rebounding high. Her previous was eight, set on Dec. 7 at Northwest Nazarene. Prior to that, it had been five.
-- Ashlynn Burgess' other SPU double-double came in her first game with the team, as she had 18 points and 11 boards in the season-opener at Humboldt State.
-- Seattle Pacific had its best shooting night of the season at 48.2 percent (27 of 56). That included 43.8 percent from 3-point range (7 of 16) The team also was deadly at the foul line at 86.4 percent (19 of 22) – the most makes and attempts it has had all season.
-- Abril Rexach Roure handed out seven of SPU's 17 assists.
-- Senior guard Madi Hingston scored her 200th point (now with 204) and collected her 100th rebound (now has 101). She started the night with 199 and 96, respectively.
-- For the second straight game, the Falcons had a plus-19 rebounding advantage. This time, it was 49-30. At Northwest Nazarene on Dec. 7, it was 48-29.
-- Seattle Pacific now has 100 all-time victories against teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. It is 100-22 overall against those schools, including 8-1 vs. Cal State L.A.
-- Burgess' 70 percent shooting from the field lifted her season percentage 18 points to .565 (48 of 85). That is tied for No. 3 in the GNAC.
 
UP NEXT
The non-conference portion of the schedule concludes Thursday when Academy of Art comes to Brougham Pavilion. The game tips off at 2:00 p.m.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Monday, Dec. 16, 2019
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 80, Cal State Los Angeles 67
 
CAL STATE LOS ANGELES (4-7)
Barnes 3-10 2-2 8, Rachael DeRegolo 1-2 2-4 4, Bordonaro 6-17 0-0 18, Fisher 2-12 5-5 10, Flennaugh 3-14 2-2 9, Adams 0-0 1-2 1, Smith 4-7 0-2 9, Robinson 1-2 0-0 2, Mendez 0-0 0-0 0,. Nyingifa 2-6 2-4 6. Totals 22-70 14-21 67.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (1-8)
Alter 4-8 4-5 12, Burgess 7-10 1-1 15, Sterk 3-6 0-0 7, Bennett 7-13 11-12 29, Rexach Roure 2-8 1-2 6, Berg 1-3 2-2 4, Hingston 2-4 0-0 5, Brennan 1-2 0-0 2, Hoff 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 19-22 80.
 
Cal State Los Angeles        12           15           21           19           -- 67
Seattle Pacific                     11           19           19           31           -- 80
 
3-point goals – CSULA 9-31 (Barnes 0-1, Bordonaro 6-15, Fisher 1-54, Flennaugh 1-7, Smith 1-3), SPU 7-16 (Alter 0-2, Burgess 0-1, Sterk 1-1, Bennett 4-7, Rexach Roure 1-2, Berg 0-1, Hingston 1-1, Brennan 0-1). Fouled out – CSULA: Fisher. Rebounds – CSULA 30 (DeRegolo 5), SPU 49 (Burgess 11). Assists – CSULA 8 (Barnes 2, Fisher 2), SPU 17 (Rexach Roure 7). Turnovers – CSULA 8, SPU 20. Total fouls – CSULA 23, SPU 21. Technical fouls: CSULA: Bench. Attendance – 138.
 
 
Next game
Academy of Art at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Dec. 19     2:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.