BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Some nights, they're just not falling.
 
Kinda like Friday night for the Seattle Pacific Falcons.
 
Schuyler Berry scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Olivia Mayer added 10 points, but SPU, even with taking good quality shots, could not get the finishes from anywhere on the floor and dropped a 79-54 decision to Cal State Los Angeles on the opening night of the women's basketball season at the WWU Veterans Day Classic.
 
The Falcons (0-1) hit just 31 percent from the field (18 of 58), only one of which went in from behind the 3-point arc (1 of 18 for 5.6 percent).
 
 

"I thought we got great shots all night," head coach Mike Simonson said. "We didn't take care of the ball great (24 turnovers, leading to 24 CSULA points), but we did get really good shots, shots that I know we want. We just need to get a little more comfortable, a little more loose, and I think good things will start to happen."
 
Ironically, things didn't start out that for Seattle Pacific.
 
Its first four shots of the game – a lay-in by Lolo Weatherspoon, a lay-in by Mayer, a driving turnaround 5-footer by Weatherspoon, and lay-in by Hunter Beirne off a feed from Weatherspoon – all went in, as did a pair of Beirne free throws. The Falcons found themselves within 11-10 of Cal State L.A., a 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifier and the preseason favorite to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association title.
 
Seattle Pacific finished the first quarter at 50 percent shooting (6 of 12) and was down just six at 23-17.But the Golden Eagles put together a 13-5 scoring run through the first five minutes of the second quarter to open a 36-22 lead. The Falcons cut it to 10 at 36-26, then L.A. closed the half on a 6-2 spurt, taking a 42-28 lead into the break.
 
"There were elements of the game where we saw, 'Hey, we're not that far off from one of the top teams in the region," Simonson said. "We make a couple more shots, make them miss a couple more, take care of the ball better, and I think it's a pretty close game."
 
The margin never dipped lower than 12 after that, as the Golden Eagles responded every time SPU got back on the board.
 
"We would get going, and it seemed like every time we got a little momentum, they would hit a big shot," Simonson said.
 
His point of emphasis heading into Saturday's contest against Cal State Dominguez Hills will be very straight-forward
 
"Just play loose and free and hit our shots," Simonson said. "That's the biggest thing: Execute our offense and defense with a little more pace and energy and passion. (Saturday) will be a tough test. We have a lot we can learn from this game."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
--The Falcons did have a handful of good individual shooting performances. Junior wing Lolo Weatherspoon was 4 of 6, freshman guard Layne Kearns was 2 of 3, and junior forward Olivia Mayer, in her official SPU debut after transferring from Whitworth was 5 of 11.
 

-- Senior guard Hailey Marlow pulled down a career-high nine rebounds. Her previous high was six on Feb. 5, 2022 at Simon Fraser.
--Cal State L.A. shot 41.7 percent overall from the field (25 of 60), and even better – 43.5 percent, draining 10 of 23 – from long range. The Golden Eagles were nearly flawless from the free throw line at 90.5 percent (19 of 21).
--SPU is now 36-13 all-time in season-opening game.
-- Weatherspoon's eight points included her career 100^th. She now has 102.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons return to Carver Gymnasium at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills, which was going against Western Washington in Friday's second game. The Toros won last year's NCAA West Region tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
WWU Veterans Day Classic
Friday, Nov. 10, 2023
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash.
 
Cal State Los Angeles 79, Seattle Pacific 54
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (0-1)
Weatherspoo 4-6 0-2 8, Mayer 5-11 0-1 10, Berry 2-5 7-8 11, Marlow 2-9 2-4, 6, Beirne 1-11 2-2 4 Leasure 1-4 2-2 6 Bishop 1-2 1-5 3, Ohta 0-2 0-0 0, Carlisle 0-5 1-2 1, Kearns 2-3 2-2 6.  Totals 18-58 17-28 54.
 
CAL STATE LOS ANGELES (1-0)
Fuentes 2-7 0-0 4, Jones 3-6 0-0 8, Buggs 4-10 7-7 16, Rones 3-6 0-0 9k Flennaugh 6-11 2-2 18, Aslasi 2-4 3-4 7, Payne 3-7 2-2 8, Lamb 0-4 1-1 1, Orozco 1-2 4-4 6, Fidelus 1-3 0-0 2, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 19-21 79.
 
Seattle Pacific                     17           11            14           12           -- 54
Cal State Los Angeles        23           19           20           17           -- 79
 
3-point goals – SPU 1-18 (Mayer 0-1, Marlow 0-3, Beirne 0-4, Leasure 1-3, Ohta 0-2, Carlisle 0-4, Kearns 0-1), CSULA 10-23 (Fuentes 0-2, Jones 2-2, Buggs 1-3, Rones 3-5, Flennaugh 4-7, Lamb 0-3, Fidelus 0-1.  Fouled out – None.  Rebounds – SPU 42 (Marlow 9), CSULA 38 (Payne 9).  Assists – SPU 7 (Beirne 4), CSULA 15 (Fuentes 4). Turnovers – SPU 24 (24 points), CSULA 19 (9 points).  Total fouls – SPU 16, CSULA 24.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 126.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills
Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash.