SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team plays two more non-conference games before the holiday break. It starts on Saturday when the Falcons host DIII Linfield. Then on Tuesday, SPU welcomes San Marcos to Royal Brougham Pavilion. Both games tip off at 3 p.m.
QUOTABLE
"We're looking forward to our final two home games before the holiday break. It starts with Linfield who has historically been very strong in the DIII Northwest Conference. It will be another good chance for our guys to focus on improving areas we've emphasized in practice. Next Tuesday, we host San Marcos. We're looking forward to another in-region game that helps build our resume. I like how our guys have been practicing over the last few weeks. I'm excited to see them on the court in front of our home fans." – interim head coach Keffrey Fazio
LAST TIME OUT
The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team hosted Douglas College on Friday night when nine Falcons scored on the way to the team's highest point total of the season in a 113-53 victory over the Royals.
The Falcons showcased offensive excellence against the Royals on Friday night. They finished the game with a 64.3 shooting percentage (45-for-70) that included 18 made 3-pointers. The team was sharing the ball well, totaling 25 assists. Maui Sze led the sharing with a season-best nine assists. SPU was fearless in getting to the basket, scoring a season-high 52 points in the paint.
The Falcons led the Royals 11-10 before SPU created separation. Anderson scored eight points during an 18-7 run that lasted 6:13. The Falcons went 7-for-11 during the span. Anderson finished with a game-high 28 points on 12-for-15 shooting with five rebounds.
The Falcons busted out an even bigger run later in the first half. They held a 31-21 lead with 9:16 before pulling away with a 25-3 run over 6:30. SPU went 10-for-13 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range. Kyle Luttinen led the run with eight points, while Jonas La Tour had seven points.
The Falcons finished the first half with an exclamation point. Anderson lobbed a pass near the basket for Jadin Penigar, who hammered it home. The ally-oop was the final bucket of the half, where the Falcons led 62-28.
Penigar wasn't finished with highlight reel plays. With 11 minutes to go, Penigar soared through the lane to punch home another dunk. The slam put the Falcons up 87-41.
Logan Kinloch played a career-high 12 minutes and made the most of them. He scored a career-high-best six points on two made 3-pointers. Jacob Gray splashed home a three, while Kobe Elsner had a bucket.
SPU ATHLETICS FALCON OF THE WEEK
The Seattle Pacific Athletics Department congratulates men's basketball player Jonas La Tour as this week's SPU Athletics Falcons of the Week.
La Tour was one of several Falcons that had a big game last Saturday. SPU Dismantled Douglas College 113-53. Nine Falcons scored in the route of the team north of the border. La Tour followed only Anderson's 28 points with 22 points off the bench. He went 8-for-11 from the field, including a 4-for-7 effort from 3-point range. La Tour added three rebounds and an assist to his totals.
La Tour has been one of the best 3-point shooters in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season, He's hit on 48.7 percent of his attempts from distance. The mark trails only Western Washington's Will Wilson's 48.9 percent.
ABOUT LINFIELD
The Wildcats welcome new head coach Levi Seig to the program. The first-year head coach and his team were picked to finish eighth in the Northwest Conference Coaches Poll. The Wildcats returned 10 players and brought in five newcomers for the 2023-24 season.
The Wildcats have opened 2023-24 with a 4-5 record and are 0-2 in conference play. On Nov. 21, they fell to GNAC member Western Oregon 80-71. Linfield is allowing 72.3 points per game. The Offense flows through Cade Collins, who's scoring 16.2 points per game this season.
ABOUT SAN MARCOS
The Cougars feature a new starting lineup and coaching staff this season. They're coming off one of the best seasons in the program's history last year with 20 wins and a No. 2 seed in the CCAA Tournament (20-11, 17-5 CCAA). They reached the NCAA Regional semifinals with an upset of Azusa Pacific, and they did not lose a game after Feb. 23 to a team other than CSUSB.
The turnover has led to a slow start in 2023-24. The Cougars are 3-5 and have gone 2-2 in conference play. Defensively, CSUSM holds opponents to 66.3 points per game. Offensively, the Cougars feature Charlie Henderson, Camren Pierce, and Edwyn Collins, all averaging double-figures. Henderson leads the group on both ends of the floor. He's averaging 13.1 points per game while pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game.
