Box score (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – One tough quarter. That made the difference for the Seattle Pacific Falcons.
 
Western Washington doubled up on SPU in the third period on Thursday night with a 16-8 scoring advantage, and went on to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game in Brougham Pavilion, 77-62.
 
Junior forward Ashlynn Burgess pumped in 15 points for Seattle Pacific (7-14, 5-8 GNAC), and sophomore guard Ashley Alter added 14.
 
A high-energy, back-and-forth first half that had seven ties and 14 lead changes on Iron Coaching Court ended with the Vikings on top, 42-41. Both teams played tight defensively, but the shooters were on target, as SPU hit 56.7 percent from the floor (17 of 30) and Western Washington hit 54.5 percent (18 of 33).
 
"When a team comes in and shoots 54 percent on your home court, that's hard," Falcons head coach Mike Simonson said. (The Vikings wound up at 54.2 for the game.) "I thought we fought hard and played decent defense at times. But the quality of shots they took made it really tough defensively."
 
The teams traded baskets to open the third, leaving it at 44-43. WWU (16-5, 10-3 GNAC) then put 12 straight points on the board while keeping SPU scoreless for a span of 6 minutes, 8 seconds. That left the Vikings on top at 56-43.
 
The Falcons got as close as six in the fourth quarter, with a pair of free throws by senior guard Hailee Bennett making it 66-60 with 4:17 still remaining. Western then closed the game on an 11-2 run.
 
"It was kind of a rat race in the first half. We were hoping for a little slower pace in the second half," Simonson said. "Ultimately, we had it going, but in the second half, Western made it their kind of game, and that made it really difficult for us."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- The Vikings swept the season series, having won 73-60 in Bellingham on Jan. 11.
-- After its 54 percent first half, Western Washington didn't cool down much in the second half, hitting 53.8 percent (14 of 26).
-- At the other end, SPU managed just six second-half field goals (6 of 23, 26.1 percent) and finished the game at 43.4 (23 of 53).
-- With so many shots going in, there weren't a lot of rebounds to be grabbed. Western had a 34-24 advantage, with 11 at the offensive end that led to 13 second-chance points. The Falcons, led by the five apiece of Ashlynn Burgess and Kayla Brundidge, had nine offensive boards, leading to five second-chancers.
-- Ashley Alter's four field goals pushed her past 100 for her career. She now has 102.
-- Senior guard Hailee Bennett drained her only two free throws of the night and now is up to 31 in a row.
 
TOURNAMENT TALK
Thursday's results dropped the Falcons out of a sixth-place tie in the GNAC standings, but kept them one game ahead of Saint Martin's for seventh. Montana State Billings, which had been part of that sixth-place tie, beat Western Oregon in overtime, 87-75. The Yellowjackets are now 6-7 in conference play, one game ahead of 5-8 SPU. Saint Martin's lost at home to Simon Fraser, 65-55. The Saints are 4-9.

The top six teams in the standings after the regular-season finales on Feb. 29, qualify for the GNAC Tournament. Seattle Pacific will be the host for that postseason women's and men's gathering on Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7.
 
UP NEXT
Simon Fraser comes to town on Homecoming Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off. Last month in Burnaby, B.C., the Clan beat Seattle Pacific, 71-54.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Western Washington 77, Seattle Pacific 62
 
WESTERN WASHINGTON (16-5, 10-3 GNAC)
Dykstra 3-5 0-0 6, Rogers 8-13, 0-0 16, Schwecke 7-8 1-1 15, Bland 6-12 4-4 17, Duff 0-6 0-0 0, Gimmaka 2-4 2-2 6, Coleman 0-1 0-0 0, Castaneda 2-3 2-2 8, Olson 3-6 1-2 7, Zaragoza 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 32-59 10-11 77.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (7-14, 5-8 GNAC)
Alter 4-8 5-6 14, Burgess 5-8 2-2 15, Brundidge 3-5 0-2 6, Bennett 2-12 2-2 7, Hingston 3-7 0-0 7, Berg 2-2 0-0 5, Rexach Roure 2-9 0-0 4, Brennan 0-0 0-0 0, Sterk 1-1 0-0 2, Hoff 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 23-53 9-12 62.
 
Western Washington        22          20          16          19          -- 77
Seattle Pacific                   23          18            8          13          -- 62
 
3-point goals – WWU 3-9 (Dykstra 0-1, Bland 1-2, Duff 0-2, Coleman 0-1, Castaneda 2-2, Olson 0-1), SPU 7-21 (Alter 1-3, Burgess 3-5, Bennett 1-6, Hingston 1-4, Berg 1-1, Rexach Roure 0-2). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – WWU 34 (Schwecke 6, Duff 6), SPU 24 (Burgess 5, Brundidge 5). Assists – WWU 15 (Bland 4), SPU 17 (Rexach Roure 5). Turnovers – WWU 14, SPU 14. Total fouls – WWU 16, SPU 14. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 517.
 
 
Next game
Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Feb. 8     2:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.