POMONA, Calif. -- Zack Paulsen's 19-point, 11-rebound performance wasn't enough for 21st-ranked Seattle Pacific, which suffered a 75-71 men's basketball overtime setback against Cal Poly Pomona on Friday in the Conference Crossover Challenge at Kellogg Arena.
 
Paulsen registered his first career double-double, getting his Falcons high marks in both points and rebounds. He made 7 of 11 shots from the field, including 3-for-7 accuracy on 3-pointers. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard is from Curtis High School in University Place, Washington.
 
"Zack came out ready to go. We've been talking to him about being more aggressive in his third year in the program," said sixth-year SPU coach Grant Leep. "Zack has some big-game experience now and we want him to just continue to display the skill that he has.
 
"He's a very good shooter outside, which we really value at that position. He did a nice job of finishing the plays that he had today."
 
The Falcons (1-2) lost their second straight game, following Sunday's 64-59 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Northwest Missouri State, the defending NCAA Division II champion. They started the season with a 77-71 victory over No. 20 Alabama Huntsville.
 
Pomona was playing its first game in over 20 months, dating to March 7, 2020. The Broncos (1-0) are members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which canceled all sports during the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID outbreak. They are perennial NCAA playoff contenders.
 
"Every team on our schedule is really good. That was by design because it puts you in moments that you have to learn a lot about who you are as a team and challenges you to grow and get better," Leep explained.
 
"That's a young Pomona team, but they're really good and their coaching staff does a great job getting them ready to play. We played hard, we battled and we fought, but just didn't make enough plays down the stretch. That's kind of what it came down to. It wasn't just one play, but an accumulation of things that built up over the course of that game. We just didn't execute."
 
OVERTIME
The hosts capitalized on unusually subpar free throw shooting and three turnovers from the Falcons in the five-minute overtime session. SPU made just 3 of 8 shots from the line in that stretch after converting 18 of 28 during regulation.
 
SPU led the nation in free throw accuracy in each of the last two years, shooting 80.5 percent in 2020 and 84.2 percent in 2021.
 
"That surprised me a little bit because, obviously, the last two years we've been over 80 percent and we make them in practice," Leep said of his team's late struggles from the line.
 
"I'd be surprised if that's how we go all year because that' been something that we're pretty good at. That will turn around."
 
The Falcons finished at a 68-percent clip on free throws for the game, converting 21 of 31.

DIVANT'E MOFFITT ALLEY-OOP DUNK

Guard Phoenix Shackelford, who forced overtime on a jumper with 1:20 showing on the second-half clock, netted the first six points of overtime. He put Pomona up for good on a three-point play 24 seconds into the extra session, getting fouled on a successful jumper.
 
SPU answered with a single free throw from Kelton Samore on each of its next two possessions. But Shackelford nailed a free-throw line jump shot at 2:30 to regain the three-point lead.
 
The subsequent Falcons trip down the floor created a unique situation that gave the hosts a bonus point.
 
Trailing 70-67, Paulsen shot a 3-pointer from the left corner. Teammate Harry Cavell gathered the rebound, but a referee whistled for play to stop and charged Paulsen with a technical for flopping to the ground after his miss.
 
Shakleford made the subsequent free throw for a 71-67 Pomona lead. Possession returned to the Falcons, who immediately got a left-side 3-pointer from Shaw Anderson on the inbounds pass to close within 71-70.
 
Tay Aubry-Thomas provided the Broncos the only points they would need on a layup with 1:18 remaining. After SPU's Divant'e Moffitt made the second of two free throws after missing the first, Aubry-Thomas secured the result on two charity shots with 1.5 seconds to play.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
Paulsen topped four double-figure scorers for the Falcons, who got 16 points from Cavell, 12 from Samore and 10 from Shaw Anderson.
 
A 6-foot-4 guard, Paulsen shot 7-for-11 from the f
 
Season leading scorer Moffitt, who tallied 19 points in each of the first two outings, was limited to nine points on 2-for-10 shooting. The senior point guard made contributions elsewhere, compiling six assists, six rebounds and two steals.
 
SPU shot 39 percent from the field (22 of 57), making 6 of 25 treys. The Broncos countered with 46-percent shooting (30 of 66), but hit just 3 of 13 shots from 3-point range.
 
Shackelford amassed 24 points and eight rebounds to lead Pomona in both categories. Aubry-Thomas added 13 points and Tavian Henderson had 11.

ZACK PAULSEN DUNK

SECOND HALF
Pomona extended a five-point halftime advantage to 47-39 on a jumper by Dane Erikstrup with 14:52 left to play.
 
The Falcons responded with a 10-2 run, capped by a four-point play, to level the score at 49-49. Paulsen nailed a left-side 3-pointer and tacked on a free throw after being fouled with 11:45 remaining.
 
Eight minutes later, SPU scored six straight points to build a 65-61 margin, capped by two free throws from Mehdi El Mardi with 2:29 left in regulation.
 
But Pomona scored the final four points of the half to force overtime with the teams level, 65-65.
 
FIRST HALF
The first half featured five ties and 11 lead changes before a late Pomona surge.
 
Offensive production by Cavell with 11 points and Paulsen with 10 kept their team in contention. They accounted for 21 of the Falcons 33 points in the opening period.
 
Trailing 24-18, SPU scored seven straight points to go ahead 25-24. Cavell later finished a Syon Blackmon steal and pass with a dunk with 5:33 left in the first half. The Falcons would not get another basket over the next four minutes, until Paulsen made a layup at 1:27 off a feed from Cavell.
 
In between baskets the Falcons turned the ball over four times and missed their lone shot from the field. The Broncos capitalized, scoring six straight points to go in front for the next 15 minutes.
 
The teams were never separated by more than six points in the opening period that ended with the Broncos owning a 38-33 lead.
 
UPCOMING ACTION
The Falcons remain in Pomona for the second day of the Conference Crossover Challenge. They clash with CCAA conference favorite Chico State on Saturday at noon.
 
RECORDS
Seattle Pacific 1-2
Cal Poly Pomona 1-0
 
NEXT SPU GAME
Conference Crossover Challenge
(#21) Seattle Pacific vs. Chico State
Saturday, November 13; 12:00 p.m.
Kellogg Arena / Pomona, Calif.