THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Jan. 19               Western Washington at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                      Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
                                      Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Saturday, Jan. 21                Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific, 4:15 p.m.
                                      Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
                                      Live Webcast        Live stats
 
 
SEATTLE – National-caliber opponents have been a regular part of the Seattle Pacific women's basketball schedule through the first two months of the season.
 
This week is no different.
 
Looking to bounce back from last Saturday's 66-49 loss at Montana State Billings, the Falcons play host to No. 6-ranked Western Washington, which has won 13 games in a row, on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. Then on Saturday, the first half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule concludes with a visit from Simon Fraser. That one tips off at 4:15 p.m.
 
Saturday's game against the Red Leafs will be the second half of a doubleheader. The Falcon men tangle with Montana State Billings at 2:00 p.m. Both teams are riding six-game winning streaks. The Yellowjackets are the only team undefeated in GNAC play (8-0); SPU is right behind at 7-1.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Both of this week's games will have free live Webcasts on YouTube and free live stats. Greg Sexton will call all of the action.
 
6TH GAME AGAINST THE TOP 25
Thursday's game against Western will be Seattle Pacific's sixth against an opponent that was ranked in the top 25.
 
In fact, the Falcons started out against two top-25 teams on the opening weekend of the season at the West Region Crossover Classic in Bellingham. They fell to No. 12 Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 18 in the opener, 70-62, but bounced back the next day to take down No. 21 Azusa Pacific, 70-64.
 
The next weekend in Denver at the Regis Thanksgiving Classic, SPU met Colorado School of Mines, which by then had taken over the No. 21 spot. The Orediggers prevailed, 65-54.
 
On the first weekend of GNAC play, the Falcons went into the home gym of No. 11 Alaska Anchorage and went down to the final minutes against the Seawolves before the hosts hung on for a 62-54 decision.
 
SPU put one into the win column on New Year's Eve Saturday when Central Washington came into Brougham Pavilion with the No. 22 ranking, but the Falcons pulled out a 70-61 victory.
 
Colorado Mines (No. 9), San Marcos (No. 23) and Azusa (No. 25) are still ranked in the latest poll compiled by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

 

 
















SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
--  The Falcons have won four of their past five games.
-- They are 3-1 in Brougham Pavilion.
-- While Seattle Pacific has played 11 of its 15 games on the road, winning seven of those, Western Washington has played just six away from Bellingham, and has won all six. The closest call for the Vikings was a seven-pointer, 77-70 at Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 16.
-- SPU and Western are two of the three teams in the GNAC allowing fewer than 60 points per game. The Falcons are No. 2 are 57.3, and the Vikings are right behind at 58.0.
-- That extends to field goal shooting, where they also rank 2-3, but in reverse order. WWU's opponents hit just 34.8 percent; SPU's just 37.5 percent.
-- Blocked shots play a role, too. Western leads all of NCAA Division II at 6.6 per game. SPU is a respectable 39th among the 294 programs in D2 at 3.7 per game.
-- Western also has D2's top rebounding margin of +13.9 per game.
-- The Falcon defense will get tested by two of the GNAC's better shooting teams. Western Washington is on top at 47.8 percent, and Simon Fraser is No. 3 at 43.3. (The Falcons are No. 5 at 40.4.)
-- Ditto from downtown. WWU is No. 1 at 38.0 percent with 105 makes; Simon is No. 2 at 37.3 percent with 90 makes. (SPU is No. 5 at 31.5 percent with 84 makes.)
-- Chiara De Virgilio picked up eight points in Billings on Saturday and, with 910, is now 90 away from 1,000 for her career.
-- De Virgilio also needs just one more assist to reach 400.
-- Ashley Alter had 10 points, putting her at 870 for her career.
-- In 15 games, Alter has led SPU in scoring five times, Anna Eddy four times, and Natalie Hoff three times. Alter and Eddy shared the lead with 10 points apiece last Saturday at Montana State Billings.
-- On the boards, Alter and Eddy each have four games with the lead. Natalie Hoff has had the most three times.
 
SCOUTING THE WESTERN WASHINGTON VIKINGS: 13-1, 7-0 GNAC (1st)
All-time series: WWU leads, 65-32.  Current series streak: WWU won 7.  Last time: WWU 75, SPU 54 (Feb. 15, 2022 at Seattle).  Last SPU series win: SPU 61, WWU 59 (Jan. 17, 2019 at Seattle).  Vikings on the Web.
Vikings in a nutshell: The Vikings dropped their season opener to then-No. 21 Azusa Pacific back on Nov. 18 – and haven't lost since. On their current 13-game winning streak, they have 10 double-digit victories ranging from 13 to 53 points. While Western averages 77.8 points per game, the offense is shared nicely, with just one player – junior 6-foot-3 forward Brooke Walling – averaging in double figures at 14.9. Walling averages a double-double, pulling down 10.1 rebounds per game. In fact, she leads the team in almost every major statistical category: field goal shooting (.583), assists (56 for a 4.0 average), blocked shots (31, a 2.2 average) and steals (23, a 1.7 average). Mason Oberg, a redshirt freshman 5-5 guard, and Katrina Gimmaka, a senior 5-11 forward, are close to double-digit scoring at 9.9 and 9.4 points, respectively.
 
SCOUTING THE SIMON FRASER RED LEAFS:  6-5, 4-3 GNAC (5th)
All-time series: Simon leads, 26-14.  Current series streak: Simon won 1.  Last time: Simon 64, SPU 57 (Feb. 5, 2022 at Burnaby, B.C.).  Last SPU series win: SPU 66, Simon 64 (OT) (Jan. 6, 2022 at Seattle). Red Leafs on the Web.
Red Leafs in a nutshell: Simon Fraser has played the fewest games of any team in the conference, with just 11. It split last week, rolling past Western Oregon before dropping a four-pointer at Saint Martin's. Even with so few games, sophomore 5-foot-10 guard Jessica Wisotzki has made the most of them, averaging a GNAC-leading 21.5 points per game. She shoots .490 from the field, and a sky-high .540 from 3-point range (27 of 50), the latter ranking No. 1 in the GNAC. In fact, Simon Fraser also has the conference's best shooter from inside the arc. That would be sophomore 6-2 forward Gemma Cutler, who hits at a .598 clip while averaging 12.5 points. She's also big on the boards with an average of 9.2 rebounds per game, and is the GNAC's top shot blocker with 32 (2.9 per game).
 
SAME SCHOOL, NEW NICKNAME
Saturday will be the first time that Simon Fraser has come into Brougham Pavilion known as the Red Leafs. That moniker was announced last September, just as the fall sports season was beginning.
 
The school's athletic teams previously were known as the Clan, but that was dropped in 2020. The teams competed without a nickname through 2020-21 (when most competition was shut down because of the pandemic) and for the 2021-22 school year, as well.
 
FIRST TIME, TIMES TWO
One Falcon picked up her first blocked shot in a Seattle Pacific uniform, and another logged the first one of her career last Saturday at Montana State Billings.
 
 

Senior point guard Chiara De Virgilio put her first one as an SPU player into the books. She had 20 blocks previously during her time at St. Cloud Community College (nine during 2018-19), Jefferson College (three in 2019-20) and Keiser University (three in 2020-21 and five in 2021-22).
 
 

Sophomore guard Lolo Weatherspoon had never blocked a shot in college. She saw limited playing time last season (just 26 minutes in five games), but has gradually been earning more minutes this winter, averaging 12.6 minutes while getting onto the court in 14 of the 15 games.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Some highlights for the Falcons in the NCAA Division II national rankings heading into this week (among the 294 total D2 women's basketball programs):
 
-- 12^th in rebound margin, +8.9 (Western Washington +13.9)
-- 30^th in scoring defense, 57.3 (Nebraska-Kearney 49.7)
-- 39^th in fewest fouls committed, 14.7 (Academy of Art 11.3)
-- 42^nd in blocks per game, 3.7 (Western Washington 6.6).
 
Individually, fifth-year forward Natalie Hoff is No. 74 in free throw accuracy at 84.0 percent.

Click on this link for a complete look at how SPU stacks up nationally.
 
SIMO SAYS …
 

(On Western Washington)
"They match up well against pressing teams, they match up well against defensive teams and offensive teams because they do everything sound and solid. Against them, you have to make sure you match their soundness. We have to make sure we handle pressure well, make sure we rebound strong, and you have to be aggressive against Western Washington. They're an aggressive team, so you have to match aggression with aggression."
 
(On the SPU-WWU rivalry)
"There have been battles over the years. We love the idea of a rivalry game. Every game is a big one, but this one has a little bit extra. I know our seniors are hungry and excited to play against Western Washington."
 
(On Simon Fraser)
"The one thing I admire most about Simon Fraser is they just improve as the season goes along. I've been impressed with the way they score the basketball. We need to be able to guard Western well and we have to guard Simon Fraser well, because both teams can make you pay if you break down defensively."
 
AROUND THE WEST
Heading toward the end of the first half of GNAC play, Western Washington, with it's 7-0 record (13-1 overall) is in control, with a two-game lead ahead of Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings, both 5-2, and both waiting to host the Vikings this week. (The Falcons are 10-5, the Yellowjackets 14-4.) Right behind them is Central Washington at 5-3 (13-4).
 
The first half also concludes (and the second half begins) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association this week. Cal State Dominguez Hills remains undefeated at 16-0 overall, 10-0 in conference play, Right behind is Cal State San Marcos at 12-2, 9-1 CCAA. They are slated to meet on Saturday afternoon at San Marcos.
 
The Pacific West Conference has already reached halftime, with 10 of the 20 games in the book. It's all even up top with Azusa Pacific and Concordia Irvine both 9-1 (APU is 14-3, Concordia 12-4 overall). Right on their heals is a sizzling Dominican team (11-7, 9-2 overall), winners of eight in a row The Penguins host CUI (currently riding a seven-game win streak) on Saturday.

AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for this week's GNAC notebook. Click on this link to see how GNAC teams and players stack up nationally.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons begin the second half of the conference schedule next week with a trip to Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene. They visits Ellensburg on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 5:15 p.m., the first game of a doubleheader that continues at 7:30 p.m. with the SPU-Central men's game. Seattle Pacific will be just the second opponent for Central in its renovated Nicholson Pavilion. On Saturday the 28th, it's another true doubleheader in Nampa. The women tip off at 4:15 p.m. Pacific time, the men at 6:30.
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                        GNAC           Overall
Western Washington         7-0       13-1
Montana State Billings     5-2       14-4
Seattle Pacific            5-2       10-5
Central Washington         5-3       13-4
Simon Fraser               4-3        6-5
Northwest Nazarene         4-4        8-8
Alaska Anchorage           3-4       11-5
Western Oregon             1-6        7-8
Saint Martin's             1-6        5-10
Alaska Fairbanks           1-6        4-10