BURNABY, B. C. – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team pushed their win streak to three games as their proven high-powered offense decimated Simon Fraser 92-72 in Canada on Thursday night.
The Falcons struggled early against the Red Leafs. With 11:17 to go in the first half, the home team owned a 21-11 lead. Zack Paulsen splashed home a 3-pointer that sparked the SPU offense.
The Falcons continued to chip away at the Red Leaf lead. Maui Sze hit a three that sparked a 21-4 run that lasted the final 6:34 of the first half. Syon Blackmon stood out during that stretch, scoring five points while adding a block and a steal.
"There was a point in the first half where our defense really locked in, and that's the point the game changed," head coach Grant Leep said. "We got stops and then executed for great shots."
Kelton Samore took over at the beginning of the second half. He scored 11 consecutive points in an 11-2 Falcon run. Suddenly, the Falcons led by 18 points.
"To start the second half, Kelton came out on fire, and set the tone for the effort, intensity, and focus we played with for the half," Leep added. "We've had different guys step up and be that spark all season, making this team a team that will continue to get better as the season continues."
The Falcons prolific offense carried them throughout the remainder of the second half. SPU finished the game shooting 55 percent (33-for-60) from the field. They went 11-for-26 (42.3 percent) from 3-point range and made all but four of their 19 free throw attempts.
Samore led everyone with 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting, which included a 3-for-4 performance from distance. Four other Falcons scored in double figures. Blackmon had 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting, with four rebounds and three assists.
Trace Evans supplied a solid boost off of the bench for SPU. The big man from Australia had 13 points on a 6-for-8 shooting. He grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot, and had a steal. The Falcon bench provided 25 points for the Falcons.
Paulsen and Shaw Anderson matched each other with 12 points. Both played 32 minutes, while Paulsen pulled five rebounds to four from Anderson.
The Falcons have one more road game this weekend in Bellingham, Wash. Against Western Washington at 7 p.m. on Saturday.