BILLINGS, Mont. – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team battled Montana State University Billings on the road on Saturday night when Maui Sze banked home what proved to be the game-winning layup late, giving the Falcons the season sweep over the Yellowjackets 72-70.
"I loved how hard we played," head coach Grant Leep said. "We challenged the team to be the hardest playing team on the court tonight and they came through."
Sze had to be patient for his moment on Saturday night. The guard from Seattle was held scoreless throughout the first half. Sze scored four points in the final 1:16 of the game with none more important than the final two.
The game was tied at 70 with 0:15 to play. Sze brought the ball down the floor before using a screen from Shaw Anderson above the right elbow near the 3-point line. Sze made his way toward the left elbow before cutting to the basket. He split two defenders and beat one more as he soared through the air for a reverse layup.
The tough bucket gave the Falcons a 72-70 lead with 4.3 left in the game. The Yellowjackets got a decent look at a half-court heave. The shot missed everything, and SPU walked away with the season sweep over MSUB.
"That was a great win for our guys," Leep said. "We played so intentionally to get the ball to Shaw in a matchup we liked, and he delivered either by scoring or getting the ball out to guys ready to shoot. In the last play, MSUB paid so much attention to Shaw in the ball screen that Maui was able to turn the corner and get downhill to the rim, and lay it in. It was a great read by Maui."
Saturday's contest between the Falcons and Yellowjackets proved to be epic. The game featured 10 ties and 17 lead changes. SPU's largest lead of the night was just five points. The Falcons held a lead for 42.5 percent of the game, compared to 42.1 percent from the Yellowjackets.
The Falcons shot it remarkably well on Saturday night. They shot 56 percent (28-for-50) from the field, including a 9-for-20 performance from 3-point range (45 percent). The team dished out 16 assists and had 21 points from the bench, led by 10 from Ben Baker-McCann.
Anderson led everyone with a game-high 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting. He went 3-for-4 from 3-point range and made both of his free throw attempts. The forward from Kelso, Wash. dished out five assists and had four rebounds for a stellar night. Zack Paulsen was solid, with 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting.
"It's a big win for us, winning on the road is so hard in this league," Leep added. "Now we need to take to momentum from this and keep building going forward."
The Falcons return to Royal Brougham Pavilion for two games next week. It starts on Thursday when SPU hosts Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 5:15 p.m.