BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- Zack Paulsen and Harry Cavell combined for 36 points Saturday, helping Seattle Pacific level its record with a 90-80 non-conference men's basketball victory over Concordia-Irvine in the Chuck Randall Classic at Carver Gymnasium.
 
The SPU men (3-3) entered the week with a three-game losing streak before picking up a pair of wins at the Western Washington-hosted tournament. They defeated Azusa Pacific 75-66 on Friday.
 
"It feels good," SPU coach Grant Leep said of getting back to .500. "We got off to a really good start to our season in Kansas City and then we lost it a little bit last weekend in California.
 
"We have a very resilient group with a lot of returners. They're not going to get too freaked out about situations. They're going to handle things the right way and we're growing in our maturity together."
 
HARRY CAVELL BASELINE DRIVE

SCORING SUMMARY
Paulsen poured in 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting. He made his only 3-point try and sank 6 of 7 free throws. The sophomore guard matched his career-best scoring effort of 19 points, established on Nov. 12 at Cal Poly Pomona.
 
Cavell compiled 11 of his 17 points during the first half as the Falcons took control early and held off a late comeback attempt. He made 7 of 12 shots, including both of his treys.
 
The stellar shooting of that duo helped the Falcons register 63-percent accuracy (32 of 51) overall and 57 percent from 3-point range (4 of 7).
 
Five Falcons finished with double-figure points. Divant'e Moffitt and Kelton Samore each scored 14 and Shaw Anderson had 12.
 
"That's when were at our best to be honest with you," Leep said of the balanced attack. "We've talked to our guys about having the ball be our most athletic player. Tonight, we saw that.
 
"Our guys were really moving the ball, sharing it and we found some good rhythm and good flow. We ended up getting in the paint for a lot of layups, which was great for our offense."
 
The Eagles (1-3) shot an even 50 percent (32 of 64) with an 8-for-25 effort behind the arc. They got most of their point production from two players. Wayne Arnold amassed 25 points and Josh Caston had 24. Kayle Knuckles added 11 points.

DIVANT'E MOFFITT REVERSE LAYUP

GAME SUMMARY
The game was tied, 28-28, before the Falcons closed the first half with a 16-4 spree. Paulsen ignited the run on a free throw with 5:46 showing on the clock and Cavell netted five straight points midway through the surge.
 
Anderson did the lion's share of the scoring during that span, pitching in eight points. He tallied SPU's final six points of the period before Concordia's Caston finished from inside the lane to set the halftime score at 44-32 in the Falcons favor.
 
That margin twice grew to a high of 15 points after intermission, the last time at 66-51 after Samore made a jumper with 9:52 left to play.
 
Concordia staged a rally, keeping the Falcons scoreless for the next three minutes while reeling off 12 straight points. By the time Cameron Fini made a layup with 7:06 remaining, SPU's advantage was cut to 66-62.
 
The Falcons responded with eight unanswered points to turn back the comeback attempt. Moffitt capped the run with back-to-back baskets, extending the lead to 76-64.
 
SPU converted 11 of 12 free throws during the final 2:25, accounting for all of its late scoring, to secure the result.
 
UPCOMING ACTION
The Falcons host their home opener on Nov. 27, against Point Loma. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m. on Iron Coaching Court at Brougham Pavilion.
 
"It's going to be great," exclaimed Leep. "We haven't had a home game yet, save for our exhibition game against Lincoln. It will be really nice to get back in Royal Brougham with our fans at home and see if we can keep this momentum going."
 
Next Saturday starts the first of four consecutive home games for the Falcons, who host Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents Central Washington, on Dec. 2, and Northwest Nazarene, on Dec. 4. The homestand concludes on Dec. 8 versus Northwest University.
 
RECORDS
Concordia-Irvine 1-3
Seattle Pacific 3-3
 
NEXT SPU GAME
Point Loma at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, November 27; 7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.