SEATTLE – As she recovered from shoulder surgery earlier this year, Hunter Beirne said she had to re-teach herself how to shoot the basketball.
 
If Thursday night was any indication, Beirne the teacher can Beirne the student a solid grade of 'A'.
 
More than that, she helped give Seattle Pacific a solid 'W.'
 
The redshirt junior point guard went off for a career-high 20 points, draining 8 of 12 from the field, 4 of 5 from 3-point range, as the Falcons opened the Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of their women's basketball schedule with a 70-43 rout of Alaska Fairbanks in Brougham Pavilion.
 
Redshirt freshman wing Grace Leasure tied her career high with 16 points and came up with four steals. Junior forward Olivia Mayer added 15 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore center Emilia Bishop polished the glass with a career-high 11 rebounds.
 
But the standout was Beirne. After a frigid start to the season when she made just 7 of 31 (20.6 percent) through the first five games, she has buried 15 of 26 (57.7 percent) through the past two games. That includes 6 of 11 (55.6 percent) from downtown. She had 16 points in last Saturday's narrow 64-62 loss at Metro State before Thursday night's first-ever 20-pointer. That gives her 36 points in the last two games after tallying 25 through the first five.
 
 

"For a long time, coming off those first couple months when I was first cleared to shoot, I couldn't quite shoot it the same way," Beirne said. "There was a little bit of pain. So I re-taught myself a little bit and re-adjusted. Now, it just feels a lot more fluid."
 
A blessing in disguise perhaps?
 
"Definitely for sure," Beirne said with a smile, "a gift from the Lord."
 
Added head coach Mike Simonson, "She had that look in her eyes – that's two good games in a row. She didn't want to come out. I took her out, and she begged me to go back in. So I put her back in, and dropped a couple more buckets and got to 20 for a career high. … I truly believe Hunter is the best point guard in the conference."
 
Except for a pair of early ties, the Falcons (2-5, 1-0 GNAC) were in front all the way after going on a 7-0 run to go from 4-4 to 11-4. A Beirne 3-pointer pushed it to 20-9 early in the second quarter, and the margin never dropped below double digits the rest of the way. It was 11 by halftime at 35-24, and ballooned to 21 by the end of the third at 55-34.
 
 

"We've tweaked our offensive system, and it has taken some time to get comfortable in it," Simonson said. "Being in our own gym – finally – makes you comfortable.
 
"In practice, that's what it looks like. It just hasn't been that way in games for whatever reason," he added. "I'm excited. I think it's going to be a stepping stone for leading into good offensive play."

Beirne agreed.

"We've been working our offense, and it feels like we're all really connecting and building chemistry together," she said "We have a lot of people who are new, and we just needed a couple games to settle in and figure out how each other plays. I think we're doing it really well now."
 
SPU hit 27 of 65 from the floor, its most makes of the season, for 41.5 percent. That included 8 of 23 from behind the arc (34.8 percent), the most makes and the highest percentage of the season.
 
At the other end, the Falcons limited Alaska Fairbanks (2-9, 0-1 GNAC) to 25 percent shooting (14 of 56), and just 16.7 percent (2 of 12) from downtown They also forced the Nanooks into 22 turnovers, converting those into 31 points."
 
"They've understood our defensive principles for a really long time. But the intensity that we need to apply those principles has been lacking," Simonson said. "Tonight, we really challenged them to pressure the ball and make Fairbanks uncomfortable, and our team really responded. … I believe those 22 turnovers were a byproduct of us working hard and having a high-intensity effort."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- Hunter Beirne wasn't the only SPU player with a shooting eye on Thursday. Grace Leasure and Olivia Mayer each hit 50 percent, each nailing 6 of 12. Mayer was 2 of 3 from long range; Leasure 2 of 6.
 

-- Emilia Bishop's 11 rebounds more than doubled her previous career high of five, set last Dec. 8 at home against Lincoln-California.
-- All nine Falcons who played had at least one assist, led by Beirne's four
-- Although guard Hailey Marlow stands just 5 feet, 7 inches, her solid defensive effort on Thursday included two blocked shots, tying her career high. She was responsible in a large way for limiting Fairbanks' Emma McKenney to half of her 10.4 scoring average. McKenney finished with just five points.
-- Seattle Pacific is now 19-3 all-time in GNAC openers, including 10-0 at home.
-- Head coach Mike Simonson is 10-0 all-time against the Nanooks.

 
UP NEXT
The Falcons are home again on Saturday against Alaska Anchorage, tipping off at 2:00 p.m. The Seawolves (2-4, 0-1 GNAC) opened their conference slate at Montana State Billings on Thursday, falling 83-68 after having a 28-11 lead late in the first quarter.

 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023
Brougham Paviion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 70, Alaska Fairbanks 43
 
ALASKA FAIRBANKS (2-9, 0-1 GNAC)
Silva 3-7 0-0 6, Wass 1-7 4-6 6, Johnson 5-17 5-7 15, Tiulana 0-4 0-0 0, McKenney 1-4 2-2 5, Lindsey 1-4 0-0 2, Van Dyke 0-2 0-0 0, Hopkins 0-1 2-2 2, Nevison 1-1 0-0 3, Martin 2-6 0-0 4, Waram 0-3 0-0 0, Stewart 0-0 0-0 0.  Totals 14-56 13-17 43.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (2-5, 1-0 GNAC)
Leasure 6-12 2-4 16, Mayer 6-12 1-1 15, Berry 2-5 1-2 5, Ohta 0-4 2-2 2, Marlow 2-5 0-0 4, Beirne 8-12 0-0 20, Kearns 2-8 1-1 5, Bishop 1-3 1-2 3, Carlisle 0-4 0-0 0.  Totals 27-65 8-12 70.
 
Alaska Fairbanks                  7           17           10              9           -- 43
Seattle Pacific                     15           20           20           15           -- 70
 
3-point goals – UAF 2-12 (Wass 0-2, Johnson 0-1, Tiulana 0-4, McKenney 1-3, Hopkins 0-1, Nevison 1-1), SPU 8-23 (Leasure 2-6, Mayer 2-3, Ohta 0-3, Marlow 0-1, Beirne 4-5, Kearns 0-3, Carlisle 0-2).  Fouled out – SPU: Marlow.  Rebounds – UAF 39 (Silva 8, Wass 8), SPU 43 (Bishop 11).  Assists – UAF 8 (Wass 2, McKenney 2), SPU 15 (Beirne 4).  Turnovers (points allowed) – UAF 22 (31), SPU 17 (10).  Total fouls – UAF 12, SPU 22.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 104.
 
 
Next game
Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.