SEATTLE – Wow.
 
That was some kind of week.
 
Ashley Alter pumped in a career-high 31 points on Saturday, one of three Seattle Pacific players in double figures, and the Falcons, after going on a 20-8 run to close the first half, led the rest of the way in defeating No. 22-ranked Central Washington in Brougham Pavilion, 70-63.
 
For the second time in less than 48 hours, SPU handed an opponent its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball defeat of the season. On Thursday, the Falcons (8-4, 3-1 GNAC) downed Northwest Nazarene, 58-45. Central (11-2, 3-1 GNAC) had won its first three, including a 70-44 rout of Montana State Billings on Thursday.
 
The victory against the Wildcats also was Seattle Pacific's second this season against a national top-25 team. The first one was 70-64 vs. then-No. 21 Azusa Pacific on Nov. 19 at the West Region Crossover Classic in Bellingham.
 
"NNU and Central is probably the hardest combination of two teams in our conference – and that doesn't take away from anyone else, because everyone is tough," head coach Mike Simonson said. "But stylistically, they're two different teams, and to do that on just two days of practice after Christmas break, I'm really proud of our team."
 
After coming up with the performance of her life on the backboards, Alter came up even bigger on the scoreboard. In the Northwest Nazarene contest, the fifth-year guard / forward pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with 17 points. Her 31 points on Saturday came on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, including 6 of 12 from 3-point range.
 
Her previous career high had been 29 in a 66-63 victory against Regis on Nov. 25 at the Regis Thanksgiving Classic in Denver.

"My team did a really good job of just finding me and finding me in my open shots," Alter said. "I felt it – it was going smooth. They were sagging off me so much, so I just launched them, and they went in. I give a lot of credit to my teammates. They're so good at seeing when I'm open and when everyone else is open."
  




Fifth-year forward Natalie Hoff added 14 points, with 10 of those in the third quarter to help SPU build its largest lead of the day at 55-42. Redshirt sophomore point guard Hunter Beirne chipped in 10 points and tied her career high with eight rebounds – matching the eight she got on Thursday against NNU.
 
"Going in, we really had to take this game very seriously, and our team was very hungry to compete against Central because of how good of a basketball team they are," Simonson said. "They have one of the strongest offenses, not only in the conference, but on the West Coast and in the country. I think we have a good defensive team. so I felt like, 'All right, it's good offense versus good defense. Let's see what's going to win out.'"
 
LATE FIRST-HALF SURGE WAS A KEY
After five lead changes in the first quarter, Central took an 18-16 lead into the second. Schuyler Berry tied it for SPU with a jumper from the foul line on the opening possession. The Wildcats then ran off seven straight points, all from their two biggest offensive weapons: a lay-in by Sam Bowman, another lay-in by Valerie Huerta, and a 3-pointer by Bowman, making it 25-18.
 
It was still a seven-point CWU lead at 27-20 when Seattle Pacific went on a 10-0 scoring surge. Alter started it with a 3-pointer from the right of the lane, Beirne hit a five-footer from straight in front after coming up with a steal, Alter drained another 3, this time from the left of the lane, and Hoff scooped up a step-around lay-in to make it 30-27.
 
With the game tied at 33-33, Alter came up with her fourth trey of the quarter. Then, with the clock winding down, Beirne picked up a rebound in backcourt, dribbled all the way down to her own foul line, and launched one in at the buzzer to make it 38-33.
 
SPU took its first double-digit lead at 50-40 in the third quarter after an 8-0 scoring run. It grew all the way to 13 at 55-42, and was still 10 at 57-47 going into the fourth.
 
Central Washington twice got as close as four points, the last time at 64-60. But by then, just 36.9 seconds remained, and the Wildcats had to start fouling. The Falcons ultimately sealed it at the free throw line: 4 of 4 by Alter (the last two of which pushed her to 30 and 31 points), and the last two by Hoff.
 
 

"It's great to go 2-and-0 (this week). But what I'm really excited about is our identity is starting to break through at a perfect time as we get into conference play," Simonson said.
 
MORE THAN JUST POINTS
While Alter's 31 points played a big role, she also was the one who was guarding Central's Valerie Huerta, who came into the game averaging 21.2 points, No. 2 in the GNAC. Huerta wound up with 16 points, but shot just 7 of 21 and did not score in the fourth quarter. Huerta played 37 minutes; Alter played 39½, and was on her practically every second of the way.
 
"That's the (second)-leading scorer in the conference that Ashley was guarding, and Ashley was our leading scorer. That's a two-way player," Simonson said. "I'm so proud of her game – more proud of the defensive end than the 31 (points). But if she reads this," he added with a laugh, "I want her to get 31."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- SPU's last sweep of Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington was Jan. 26 and 28, 2017 on the road: 68-63 at NNU and 54-51 at Central.
-- The most recent 30-plus point performance for the Falcons was five years ago when Jordan McPhee went for 30 in an 80-69 victory at Azusa Pacific on Nov. 17, 2017.
-- Ashley Alter was just one rebound away from her second straight double-double, finishing with a team-high nine. She also had two assists, two steals, and one blocked shot.
-- SPU shot 41.2 percent from the field (28 of 68), including 35 percent from downtown (7 of 20).
-- Central Washington's Sam Bowman notched her 12th double-double in 13 games – and she had it by halftime. Her final totals were 20 points and 16 rebounds (11 plus 10 at the break).
-- The teams combined to shoot just 10 free throws. SPU was 7 of 9; Central was just 0 of 1.
-- With a 40-36 edge, the Falcons out-rebounded an opponent for the 11th time in 12 games.
-- SPU had a season-low 12 turnovers.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons begin a stretch of three straight road games when they visit Western Oregon in Monmouth on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 70, (No. 22) Central Washington 63
 
CENTRAL WASHINGTON (11-2, 3-1 GNAC)
Schow 1-1 0-1 2, Bowman 9-15 0-0 20, Huerta 7-21 0-0 16, Maeda 1-5 0-0 3, Cai 6-12 0-0 14, Johnson 0-3 00 0, Heitschmidt 1-3 0-0 2, Smith 2-3 0-0 6.  Totals 27-63 0-1 63.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (8-4, 3-1 GNAC)
N. Hoff 6-14 2-2 14, M. Hoff 3-6 0-0 6, Beirne 5-9 0-1 10, Eddy 2-7 0-0 5, Alter 10-19 5-6 31, Weatherspoon 1-7 0-0 2, De Virgilio 0-3 0-0 0, Berry 1-3 0-0 2, Marlow 0-0 0-0 0.  Totals 28-68 7-9 70.
 
  
Central Washington            18           15            14          16            -- 63
Seattle Pacific                     16           22           19           13           -- 70
 
3-point goals – CWU 9-28 (Bowman 2-6, Huerta 2-7, Maeda 1-3, Cai 2-5, Johnson 0-2, Heitschmidt 1-3, Smith 2-3), SPU 7-20 (Beirne 0-2, Eddy 1-2, Alter 6-12, Weatherspoon 0-1, De Virgilio 0-3).  Fouled out – CWU: Cai.  Rebounds – CWU 36 (Bowman 16), SPU 40 (Alter 9).  Assists – CWU 15 (Huerta 5, Maeda 5), SPU 145 (Beirne 4).  Turnovers – CWU 14, SPU 12.  Total fouls – CWU 10, SPU 7.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 231.
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon
Thursday, Jan. 5     7:00 p.m.
New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.