NAMPA, Idaho – Br-r-r-r

That's the kind of shooting night it was for the Seattle Pacific Falcons.
 
Ashley Alter scored 18 points, and Schuyler Berry added 10, but SPU hit just 29 percent from the field on Saturday in dropping a 63-49 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game at Northwest Nazarene.
 
The Falcons (11-8, 6-5 GNAC) came up short on both games of their road trip, as Central Washington won Thursday's game in Ellensburg, 81-72.
 
After climbing into a 29-29 halftime tie and then taking a 35-31 lead early in the third quarter at the Johnson Sports Center, Seattle Pacific was outscored 32-14 the rest of the way by Northwest Nazarene (9-10, 5-6 GNAC).
 
SPU hit just 18 of 62 for the day, including 6 of 33 during the second half (18.1 percent). Alter had four of those second-half makes, with three of them from 3-point territory (all of those during the fourth quarter). She was 7 of 17 for the day, 4 of 7 from downtown.
 
It was just the opposite for the Nighthawks, as they hit a torrid 52.3 percent (23 of 44), with 62.5 percent accuracy (5 of 8) from downtown.

"We created a lot of shots that I think we can make. We just didn't bury them," head coach Mike Simonson said. "Kudos to NNU – they made some big plays, the played a little bit harder, a little bit tougher, and made a few more shots than us."
 
The Falcons were within four points at 44-40 as third quarter was winding down. Jordan Pinson then flung up a prayer of a shot from way beyond the top of the key that banked off the board and through the hoop at the buzzer.

She was knocked down on the play, and after the shot was reviewed and ruled as having been taken in time, she went to the free throw line and completed a four-point play. That made it 48-40 entering the fourth.
 
A scoop lay-in by Shawnacee Davis at the outset of the final quarter pushed NNU's lead to double digits for the first time, 50-40. Alter answered with 3-pointer from the left of the lane, making it 50-43 with 8:42 remaining.

But Seattle Pacific then went the next 4 minutes, 15 seconds without a point as the Nighthawks expanded their led to double digits again, 55-43.
 
Another Alter trey ended the dry spell at the 4:27 mark for 55-46. That was as close as the Falcons came.

"We did some things very well. I think it was a program career low versus NNU on turnovers (the Falcons had just 14 after committing 24 in the December game at SPU) and we had 19 offensive rebounds," Simonson said. "But at the end of the day, we have to score the ball and we have to get stops. When the going got tough, we didn't score, we didn't get stops, so we got the loss."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- The last time the Falcons hit less than 30 percent from the floor was almost two years to the day: Jan. 29, 2021 at home against College of Idaho (12 of 46 / 26.1 percent).
-- Ashley Alter's 18 points put her at 930 for her career. She will need average 10 per game in the seven remaining games to reach 1,000 by the end of the regular season.
-- As part of its 37-30 rebounding advantage, SPU had 19 at the offensive end; NNU had just four.
-- Claire Eubanks led Northwest Nazarene with16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and was instrumental during the team's third-quarter surge with 10.
-- The Nighthawks also had a 12-0 scoring run bridging the first and second quarters as they kept SPU off the board for a stretch of 6 minutes, 37 seconds.
 
UP NEXT
SPU returns home for three in a row, beginning next Thursday, Feb. 2, against Saint Martin's at 5:15 p.m. That will be the first game of a doubleheader, followed by the Falcon men against Western Washington at 7:30 p.m.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023
Johnson Sports Center / Nampa, Idaho
 
Northwest Nazarene 63, Seattle Pacific 49
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (11-8, 6-5 GNAC
Beirne 2-9 3-4 8, M.Hoff 1-4 0-0 2, Eddy 1-10 0-0 3, Alter 7-17 0-0 18, N. Hoff 2-5 2-2 7, Weatherspoon 1-5 0-0 2, Marlow 0-2 0-0 0, Berry 4-10 2-3 10.  Totals 18-62 7-9 49.
 
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (9-10, 5-6 GNAC
Starr 1-2 4-4 6, E. Clark 2-3 0-0 4, Eubanks 8-10 0-0 16, Pinson 5-13 2-3 14, Nieto 4-9 4-4 13, Bohner 0-0 0-0 0, Castledine 0-0 0-0 0, K. Clark 0-0 0-1 0, Knishka 2-2 0-0 6, Waid 0-2 2-2 2, Davis 1-1 0-0 2, Friend 0-0 0-0 0.  Totals 23-44 12-13 63.
 
Seattle Pacific                    18           11           11             9           -- 49
Northwest Nazarene         15           14           19           15           -- 63
 
3-point goals – SPU 6-19 (Beirne 1-3, Eddy 1-8, Alter 4-7, Marlow 0-1), NNU 5-8 (Pinson 2-3, Nieto 1-1, K. Clark 0-1, Knishka 2-2, Waid 0-1).  Fouled out – None.  Rebounds – SPU 37 (Eddy 7, N. Hoff 7), NNU 30 (Eubanks 8).  Assists – SPU 7 (Beirne 2), NNU 9 (Starr 3).  Turnovers – SPU 14, NNU 18.  Total fouls – SPU 19, NNU 15.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 452.
 
 
Next game
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Feb. 2     5:15 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.