UPCOMING SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15
Seattle Pacific at Montana State Billings, 6:00 p.m. PST
Alterowitz Gymnasium / Billings, Mont.
       • Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/user/msubsports
       • LiveStats: https://msubsports.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 
MONDAY, JANUARY 17
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific, 3:00 p.m. PST
Iron Coaching Court at Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
(Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required for attendance)
       • Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/user/SPUsports
       • LiveStats: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
       • Tickets: https://www.spufalcons.com/tickets
 
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20
Seattle Pacific at Western Washington, 7:00 p.m. PST
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash.  (No spectators allowed)
       • Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/WWUVikingsAthletics
       • LiveStats: https://wwuvikings.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22
Seattle Pacific at Simon Fraser, 7:00 p.m. PST
West Gym / Burnaby, B.C.
       • Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUv73yvXqNY
       • LiveStats: https://athletics.sfu.ca/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 
Seattle Pacific sees its first action of the 2022 calendar year with a strenuous stretch of four games in eight days. The Falcons (8-6, 1-2 GNAC) play for the first time in 17 days, dating to Dec. 30, after having their last three games postponed and subsequently rescheduled. They visit Montana State Billings (6-8, 2-2) on Saturday, Jan. 15 for a 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time contest (7 p.m. MST). Two days later, on Jan. 17, SPU returns home for the makeup of a postponed game as they host Saint Martin's on Monday. Tip-off is 3:00 p.m. on Iron Coaching Court at Brougham Pavilion. Those GNAC foes were initially slated to meet on Jan. 6. Next week, the Falcons visit Western Washington on Jan. 20 at 7:00 p.m. and fans are not allowed in Carver Gym out of an abundance of caution for health and safety. The frenetic four-game slate concludes Jan. 22 at 7:00 p.m. in Burnaby, B.C. versus Simon Fraser.
 
 

Notable
SPU has played an extremely difficult schedule with two of its losses coming against teams currently ranked among the Top-4 nationally. The combined record of the Falcons 12 NCAA Division II opponents is 99-42 (70%).
 
Revised Schedule
Along with the Jan. 17 contest, two other games have been rescheduled for the Falcons. They entertain Western Oregon on Feb. 8 in a game originally slated for Jan. 8. SPU visits Alaska Fairbanks on Feb. 21 after their Jan. 1 meeting was postponed.
 
Falcons Fast Facts
• SPU made 10 or more 3-pointers in 7 of the last 8 games after doing so just once in its first 6 games
 
• Harry Cavell is the 11th player in SPU history to compile both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. His 1,338 career points rank No. 8 in school history and Cavell ranks No. 14 in career rebounds with 605.
 
• Sophomore guard Zack Paulsen posted SPU's only two double-doubles (Nov. 12 & Dec. 13)
 
• Paulsen (2) & Mehdi El Mardi (1) accounted for all three of the Falcons double-digit rebound games
 
• SPU was the most accurate NCAA D-II free shooting team in both 2020 (80.5%) and 2021 (84.2%)
 
• Three Falcons have a 30-point game in their career: Divant'e Moffitt (4), Shaw Anderson (2) & Harry Cavell (1)
 
1,000-Point Scorers
Two players on the current roster have produced 1,000 career points in a Falcons uniform. Shooting guard Harry Cavell reached that milestone last season and currently ranks eighth among all-time SPU players with 1,338 career points. Point guard Divant'e Moffitt netted his 1,000th career point on Nov. 13 and has increased that to 1,196 points, a figure that ranks No. 21 on the school scoring chart.
 
Scouting MSU Billings (6-8, 2-2 GNAC)
The Yellowjackets boast the stingiest defense in the GNAC, surrendering just 64.9 points per game. MSUB is led by a pair of double-digit scorers in Carrington Wiggins (16.0 ppg) and Damen Thacker (14.3). The Falcons lead the series by a 46-31 margin and won the last three meetings, capped by an 83-62 decision in the last matchup on Feb. 13, 2020 in Billings. The Yellowjackets lost 11 of their last 12 matchups versus SPU.
 
Scouting Saint Martin's (9-3, 2-1 GNAC)
The Saints won their last five games. They lead the GNAC in 3-point percentage at 40.1 percent. Marky Adams has not attempted a trey, but is the league's most accurate shooter overall, making 71.2 percent of his shots. A quartet of double-figure scorers is led by the 13.7-point average of Brett Reed, who also tops the team with 8.3 rebounds per game. SPU won three of four encounters last season to increase its series lead to 102-42. The Falcons were 95-61 victors in the last matchup, on March 6, 2021, that concluded the season.
 
Scouting Western Washington (8-4, 1-1 GNAC)
The Vikings won eight of their last 10 games. They lead all GNAC teams in scoring (84.3 ppg) and scoring differential (+14.3). The duo of Daniel Hornbuckle and Lucas Holden share the league lead in 3-point accuracy at 50 percent. Hornbuckle tops four WWU double-digit scorers with 15.7 points per game. The Falcons own an 87-56 series advantage despite losing the last matchup, 73-68, on Feb. 22, 2020 in Bellingham. SPU had won the previous four meetings.
 
Scouting Simon Fraser (6-3, 1-0 GNAC)
Simon Fraser won five of its last six outings and is the only team unbeaten in GNAC play. SFU leads the GNAC in steals (10.0 spg) and turnover margin (+4.22). Julian Roche tops the squad in both scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounds (9.3 rpg). The Falcons won the last four matchups to forge a 21-3 lead in the all-time series. The won the first 13 encounters with SFU before going 8-3 since then. The teams didn't play last season and SPU won the most recent meeting, 88-67, on Feb. 20, 2020 in Burnaby, B.C.
 
 

Dynamic Divant'e
Senior point guard Divant'e Moffitt tops the Falcons with 18.4 points per game and 4.0 assists. He surpassed the 1,000-point plateau on Nov. 13 and currently ranks No. 21 among all-time SPU scorers with 1,196 career points. He was named the 2022 GNAC Preseason Player of the Year. Moffitt has tallied four career 30-point performances. He was honored as a unanimous first-team All-GNAC selection in 2020.
 
2022 Season Preview
Seattle Pacific was a unanimous choice to win the 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship in the coaches poll released Oct. 15 and for good reason. All five starters return from last season's 10-3 team, including the team's top-10 point producers. The Falcons feature Preseason Player of the Year selection Divant'e Moffitt along with projected all-conference candidates Shaw Anderson and Harry Cavell. Moffitt, a 2020 All-West Region honoree, topped the team with 17.6 points and 5.2 assists per game last season. Cavell scored at a 16.7-point clip and led the Falcons with 7.2 rebounds in 2021. Anderson missed all last year after receiving the 2020 GNAC Freshman of the Year award. They are joined by returning starters at guard, Sharif Khan (9.9 ppg), Zack Paulsen (9.6), and center Mehdi El Mardi (7.6). While limited to eight games, forward Kelton Samore averaged 10.3 points when healthy. "We have so many returning players, 14 of them. They are just hungry to compete and play, and play in front of people again and be a part of what is means to be a basketball player at SPU and have that experience," said Coach Grant Leep.
 
Shaw Returns
Shaw Anderson, the 2020 GNAC Freshman of the Year, returns to the court after missing last season. His return was triumphant, pouring in 24 points to lead all scorers in the 76-65 home exhibition victory over Lincoln (Calif.) University on Oct. 30. Anderson was a two-time GNAC Player of the Week (Jan. 6 & Jan. 13) in 2020. He averaged 12.8 points while shooting 55 percent from the field. The 6-foot-6 forward was even better outside the arc, nailing 56.3 percent of his 3-pointers (58 of 103). Anderson compiled a streak off 11 straight successful 3-pointers from Jan. 30 to Feb. 8, 2020. He netted a career-high 34 points at Western Oregon (Jan. 11, 2020). Anderson posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. CWU on Feb. 29, 2020.
 
Coach Leep
The GNAC's 2020 Coach of the Year Grant Leep, 42, is in his sixth season directing the SPU men's basketball program after seven years as an assistant on the Falcons staff. He has a 91-51 career record. Leep coached the 2021 to a 10-3 record over a schedule abbreviated due to the COVID outbreak. The 2020 team's 22-7 record featured a 14-game winning streak. His Falcons won the 2020 GNAC regular-season championship and qualified for the cancelled NCAA West Regional as the No. 5 seed. Leep has strong basketball ties throughout the Northwest as an All-America player at Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School before lettering four years at Washington. Leep still owns the Huskies 3-point accuracy records for a season (52.7% in 2002) and career (42.9%). His coaching resumé includes stops at Eastern Washington and a pair of community colleges. SPU had a 165-51 (.764) record during his time as an assistant.
 
Brougham Pavilion Entry Policies
Fans are welcome back to Brougham Pavilion. In compliance with King County guidelines, spectators 12-years-of-age and older attending SPU athletic events are required to provide proof of full vaccination or present a negative COVID-19 test. Before purchasing or picking up tickets at venue Will Call windows, attendees must show evidence of vaccination. Acceptable forms of proof include a CDC-issued Vaccination Record Card, a photo of the card, the Washington state myIRmobile.com app or a document from a health care provider. Those who cannot provide proof of vaccination may instead present documentation of a negative FDA-approved COVID-19 test administered by a professional and dated within 72 hours of the event. Mask wearing is mandatory at all times and spectators are encouraged to social distance when possible. Save the wait in line and obtain your SPU basketball tickets in advance by purchasing them online at -- www.spufalcons.com/tickets