BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team extended their winning streak to four games due to a late first half run against Western Washington Vikings, and an efficient 28 points from Shaw Anderson en route to a 90-73 win on the road.
The Falcons and the Vikings traded buckets throughout the first half. SPU stepped on the gas when they had a 27-25 lead with 4:24 to go in the first half. Maui Sze attacked the basket, and instead of laying it in, he passed the ball to Anderson, who slammed it home. That play sparked an 18-5 run to close out the first half. Anderson took over that stretch, scoring 10 of the Falcons' 18 points.
"That run changed the game," head coach Grant Leep said. "Our guys went into the half with so much confidence. I loved how we stuck to the game plan. We missed some shots at the rim early, but we were determined to keep getting Kelton, Shaw, and Trace touches. Our defense was the spark for that run. We defended the arc well and, for the most part, held them to one shot. We got stops, got to play in transition, and find a great rhythm."
Anderson's dunks proved to be a ton-setter throughout the game. He brought the intensity early in the first half. Syon Blackmon passed the ball to Anderson, who turned and dunked over the WWU defender. The move was part of an 8-2 run that tied the game at 11 with 13:02 to play. All eight of those points came in the paint.
Anderson was sensational against the Vikings on Saturday. He finished with a game-high 28 points on an incredible 12-for-14 shooting. Anderson made his only 3-point attempt while adding four assists, two rebounds, and two blocks to a nearly perfect night.
"The most impressive thing about Shaw is his efficiency within our system," Leep said. "He constantly makes the right reads and right plays. He also had four assists tonight. He doesn't take bad shots, and he's so even with his demeanor. He plays at his own pace."
The Falcons were unbelievable on the offensive end against the Vikings. They shot 59.7 percent (27-for-62) from the field, including a 7-for-16 performance (43.8 percent) from the 3-point range.
Four Falcons joined Anderson in double-figures against the Vikings. Trace Evans finished with his first double-double of the season. He scored 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting while pulling down 12 rebounds, six on offense and six on defense. He added two assists to make up his best night as a Falcon.
Kelton Samore capped a stupendous weekend with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting with two made 3-pointers. He added five rebounds for a strong night. Casson Rouse poured in 12 points, while Sze finished with 10 points. Sze held it down for the guards, grabbing six rebounds while adding five assists to a complete basketball game. Rouse snagged three rebounds and had three assists.
SPU proved to dominate in several areas of Saturday's game. The Falcons outrebounded the Vikings 41-29 for the game, including a 32-19 edge on defensive rebounds. Defensively, SPU halted WWU to a 42-9 percentage (30-for-70) from the field. The Vikings made just five 3-pointers over the entire 40 minutes.
SPU returns to Royal Brougham Pavilion on Thursday at 7 p.m. In a stand-alone game against Western Oregon.