SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team hosted Warner Pacific in a thanksgiving weekend matchup, as a big first half was paired with Ben Baker-McCann's first career double-double and five Falcons scoring in double-figures as the team won 97-71.

"This team is starting to come together, and it's at a good time for us," head coach Grant Leep said. "To see how many different guys can make contributions, and the depth that this team has is encouraging. Not only from the ability to play and be on the court but shooting, rebounding, our ability in transition and a few other aspects give us versatility and allows us to be creative as coaches."   

The opening 10 minutes between the Falcons and the Knights were tightly contested. A 3-pointer from Shaw Anderson gave SPU a 19-12 lead. A quick 8-0 run for the Knights swung the game back in their favor. From there, the Falcons took over.

An athletic finish from Baker-McCann started a big run for the Falcons. It was a 15-2 3"14 stretch, that featured four points each from Baker-McCann and Kelton Samore, and a monster dunk from Anderson.

SPU didn't slow down during the final five minutes of the first half. This time, it was an 18-7 run. Zack Paulsen led the team during that stretch, scoring nine points. Baker-McCann scored five points during that timeframe. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the Knights parked the score at 52-32 at halftime.

The Falcons controlled the second half. A nifty jumper from Casson Rouse pushed the SPU end to 24 points with 9:35 to play. Jacob Gray's layup with just under a minute to go gave the Falcons their largest lead of 26 points, as they went on to take the game 97-71.

Baker-McCann was outstanding for the Falcon on Saturday afternoon. He scored 14 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. The double-double was the first of his career.

Paulsen led all scorers with 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting. He knocked down three 3-pointers and had four assists. Anderson and Jonas La Tour poured in 15 points each. Anderson added four rebounds, while La Tour grabbed six boards.

SPU shot the ball well throughout the game. They went 48.6 percent (36-for-74) from the field. They also went 13-for-27 (48.1 percent) from the 3-point range. The Falcons attacked the basket, scoring 36 points in the paint. They forced the Knights into 13 turnovers and scored 23 points off of turnovers.

The Falcons open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play next weekend in Alaska. Their first conference game happens on Thursday at 8:30 pm. PST against Alaska Fairbanks.