SEATTLE – They've been waiting for a night like that – the kind where every shot that goes up seems to go in. 
 
The Seattle Pacific Falcons enjoyed just such a night on Wednesday. 
 
Abril Rexach Roure poured in 19 points, Natalie Hoff had 14 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, and SPU shot a sizzling 59 percent from the field, pulling away in the second half for an 87-56 victory against Northwest University in Brougham Pavilion. 
 
 

Senior point guard Rexach Roure and junior forward Hoff were two of the five players in double figures for the Falcons (6-4), who now have their first two-game winning streak of the season. Junior forward Ashley Alter added 13 points, freshman forward Beth Pettingill came off the bench for a career-high 12, and junior guard Rachel Berg chipped in 10. 
 
The last time Seattle Pacific put that many points on the board was Jan. 23, 2018, in a 94-76 victory at Saint Martin's Their last tally in the 80s was Jan. 4, 2020, in an 83-70 victory at home against Alaska Fairbanks. 
 
As for shooting 59 percent? The Falcons haven't been in that stratosphere since making 'em at a 64.8 percent clip (35 of 54) in a 98-57 victory at Montana State Billings on Feb. 4, 2017. 

 

"That's a lot of points. It's been awhile because we always say defense first," head coach Mike Simonson said. "It's nice to see us get confident offensively. We shot the ball great. … What I'm really proud about is it shows why our scoring was so balanced – we had 20 assists on 35 buckets." 
 
HOT HANDS ON BOTH SIDES
The way Wednesday's game started, both teams could have wound up in the 80s. Seattle Pacific hit 7 of 13 from the floor, including all three tries from 3-point range, and the Eagles (0-4) were 8 of 13 (with 2 of 5 from downtown) in a fast-paced first quarter that ended with the Falcons owning a 21-19 lead. 
 
Northwest, an NAIA school from nearby Kirkland and a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, went on top for the first time at the outset of the second quarter, 22-21 on a 3-pointer from the left of the lane by Grace Hammond. A putback by senior guard Kaprice Boston moved the Falcons back in front, 23-22. Then Andie Kristinat, who bombed in six treys during the first half, hit her third of the night for a 25-23 Eagles advantage. 
 
Seattle Pacific rang up the next nine points on a turnaround eight-footer by Hoff, a 3-pointer by Alter, a driving lay-in by Rexach Roure, and a lay-in by Alter to go up, 32-25. A 9-3 run – with all of the points coming on treys by Kristinat – pulled Northwest within one at 35-34 with 3:12 left in the first half. 
 
SPU then put the last six points of the second quarter and the first eight points of the third quarter onto the board to take a 48-34 lead. The Eagles never got closer than 10 the rest of the night, at 54-44 late in the third. A 14-0 run by Seattle Pacific essentially clinched it. 
 
Yet, as much as the offense was clicking, the defense came to the forefront in the second half. The Falcons limited Northwest to just 22 points and 24 percent shooting (7 of 29) through the final 20 minutes. Kristinat, who had those 18 first-half points on 6-of-10 shooting, didn't even get a shot after halftime. 
 
"I'm really proud of our second-half defensive effort – that's our main identity," Simonson said. "We did make some adjustments at halftime and I'm proud of our ability to adapt. That has been a struggle for us. But we made those adjustments, and we did a really good job for the most part." 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 
-- In outscoring Northwest by a 26-10 margin during the decisive third quarter, SPU shot 78.6 percent (11 of 14, including its first six in a row) and limited Northwest to 21.4 percent (3 of 14). 
-- The 59.7 percent accuracy from the field included 57.9 percent (11 of 19) from downtown.
-- The team's previous shooting high this season was 45.5 percent (25 of 55) at home against Saint Martin's on Jan. 15.
-- Abril Rexach Roure's 19 points came on 8-of-9 shooting from the field (3 of 4 from behind the arc) and tied her high in a Falcons uniform. She also had 19 on Nov. 22, 2019 against Colorado Mines. 
-- Coming off an 11-assist night at Saint Martin's last Friday, Rexach Roure had a team-high seven on Wednesday. The Falcons were at 20 overall for the second time this season. 
 

-- With her 12 points and six rebounds, Beth Pettingill easily exceeded her previous career highs of five and four, respectively. She hit 5 of 6 from the field. 
-- Along with her 14 points and 11 rebounds (just one short of her career high), Natalie Hoff handed out a career-high five assists. "Passing is really important from or post position, and to have her pass the ball like that really makes me happy," coach Mike Simonson said. 
 -- Freshman Adrienne Poling, from Edmonds, just north of Seattle, recorded her first collegiate basket, rebound, and assist. 
-- The Falcons had a season-low 11 turnovers. 
-- Sam Van Loo led Northwest with 22 points. 
 
UP NEXT 
The Falcons have eight days until their next game, as they host Northwest Nazarene in a back-to-back series next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19 and 20, and 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. 
 
 
NCAA WOMEN's BASKETBALL 
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021 
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash. 
 
Seattle Pacific 87, Northwest University 56 
 
NORTHWEST (0-4) 
Kristinat 6-10 0-0 18, Weden 0-3 0-0 0, Van Loo 9-13 4-6 22, Lindsey 1-4 2-3 5, DuChesne 3-9 0-0 8, Strojan 0-1 0-0 0, Hammond 1-7 0-0 3, Monten 0-3 0-0 0, Lorenz 0-0 0-0 0, Arroyo Sanchez 0-1 0-0 0, FitzGerald 0-6 0-0 0, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Marshall 0-0 0-0 0, Bell 0-0 0-0 0, Goldsberry 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-57 6-9 56. 
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (6-4) 
Alter 5-11 0-0 13, Hoff 6-11 2-2 14, Berg 4-5 0-0 10, Rexach Roure 8-9 0-0 19, Boston 3-7 0-0 7, Poling 1-1 0-0 2, Mastora 1-4 0-0 3, Pettingill 5-6 1-1 12, Burgess 2-5 3-4 7. Totals 35-59 6-7 87. 
 
Northwest              19           15           10           12           -- 56 
Seattle Pacific       21           19           26           21           -- 87 
 
3-point goals – NU 10-26 (Kristinat 6-10, Weden 0-1, Lindsey 1-1, DuChesne 2-4, Hammond 1-4, Arroyo Sanchez 0-1, FitzGerald 0-5), SPU 11-19 (Alter 3-6, Berg 2-3, Rexach Roure 3-4, Boston 1-2, Mastora 1-2, Pettingill 1-1, Burgess 0-1). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – NU 27 (4 players with 3), SPU 37 (Hoff 11). Assists – NU 17 (Van Loo 3), SPU 20 (Rexach Roure 7). Turnovers – NU 15, SPU 11. Total fouls – NU 10, SPU 10. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 0. 
 
 
Next game 
Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific 
Friday, Feb. 19     6:00 p.m. 
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.