SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team hosted Linfield in a non-conference game on Saturday, where Shaw Anderson's 31-point performance helped the Falcons extend a winning streak to three games with a 74-50 victory over the Wildcats.
The Falcons and Wildcats played to a 10-10 tie early in the first half. Shaw Anderson took over, leading a 16-3 run over the next 9:19. Anderson had 12 points while the team went 7-for-9 from the field. On the defensive end, the Falcons shut down the Wildcats to just one 3-pointer over the nearly 10-minute span.
Anderson was spectacular throughout the first half for the Falcons. He poured in 23 points on 10-for-12 shooting, including two made 3-pointers. He'd finish the game with 31 points on 12-for-19 shooting with three rebounds and two assists. It's Anderson's second 30-point game this season, with the first coming on Nov. 5 in an 87-77 win over Daeman.
"He's continued to learn and improve throughout his career," Interim head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "He's learning how teams guard him and where he can score from on the floor based on that. It's cool to see a really good player make those adjustments so fast. Can't say enough good things about him. He works so hard and is loved by his teammates. Right now, he's finding out just how good he can be."
The second half featured another run for SPU. The Falcons quieted the Wildcats 14-4 over 8:42 in the early part of the second half. Nikias Schoenerstedt led the span with five points. SPU led Linfield 58-35 with 10:20.
Owen Moriarty and Trace Evans finished with 12 points each. Both players went 5-for-8 from the field. Moriarty added four assists and two rebounds, while Evans had four rebounds and an assist.
The Falcons did well near the basket, scoring 28 points in the paint. Defensively, they forced the Wildcats into 12 turnovers and scored 14 points off turnovers. The Falcons shut the visitors down to a 32.8 shooting percentage (20-for-61) with just five made 3-pointers in the game.
"Before the game, we talked about guarding them, keeping them out of the actions they like to be in, and our guys did a nice job of that for 40 minutes," Fazio said. "The sustained effort on that end was solid, and it's something we're proud of. Our defense led to an easy offense. Whether it was a turnover or a rebound, we got down the court and attacked them before they were ready to play defense."
The Falcons are back for their final game before the holiday break on Tuesday at 3 p.m. when they host San Marcos.