SEATTLE – This was one the Seattle Pacific Falcons needed and wanted.
 
However, neither the result – nor the shots – fell their way.
 
 

Ashley Alter scored 15 points and came up with a career-high seven steals, and Natalie Hoff added 11 points, but after a hot first quarter, SPU went cold the rest of the day and dropped a 57-52 decision to Western Oregon in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game.
 
The outcome in Brougham Pavilion kept the Falcons (12-9, 7-6 GNAC) in fourth place in the standings. They have five regular-season games remaining to secure a spot in the GNAC Tournament (the top six make it) and pick up as many wins as possible to at least stay in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament spot when those eight berths are ultimately doled out in March.
 
"Our kids wanted to win and I'm really proud of their fight in the game," head coach Mike Simonson said. "But we've got to get back to the drawing board as to how we approach our games. We've got to watch film and just see some of the things that contributed to our non-success, so to speak, and figure it out.
 
"I thought we played really well on Thursday (in a 71-58 victory against Saint Martin's), and today was the exact opposite," he added. "We have to be more consistent."
 
Seattle Pacific had no trouble finding the hoop early on against the Wolves (10-10, 4-8 GNAC), hitting 10 of its first 19 (52.6 percent) on the way to building a 21-9 lead by the early moments of the second quarter.
 
But from then on, the Falcons hit just 11 more shots, on 43 attempts (25.6 percent). They got multiple chances on several possessions, and created extra opportunities by coming up with 15 steals and forcing 25 turnovers for the game.
 
Whether from inside or outside, balls bounced off the rim, rolled over it, or, a couple of times, swirled in and out.
 
 

"I thought we got good enough shots to win the game; I thought we got the free throw line enough to win the game," Simonson said. "Western Oregon makes the game a certain way, and we knew that coming in, and we practiced it. We practiced for this game for the last three weeks since the last time we played them (a 70-61 win in Monmouth on Jan. 5). The first quarter today was about how I hoped it would go, and the next three, totally not."
 
SPU wound up at 33.9 percent for the day (21 of 62). The Wolves had one less field goal overall, draining 20 of 46. But they connected on 35 percent from 3-point range (7 of 20),one of which was a 35-footer by Kylee Arzner that swished through at the third-quarter buzzer to snap a 40-40 tie and give Western Oregon a 43-40 lead entering the fourth quarter.
 
The Wolves stretched it out to 45-40 on a putback by Gracie Arnold. Through almost the first four minutes, the only point for the Falcons was a Hoff free throw before Alter finally hit a lay-in off a feed from Hoff to make it a four-point margin at 47-43 with 6:08 remaining.
 
Seattle Pacific finally tied it at 47-47 on a 3-pointer by Anna Eddy at the 4:10 mark. WOU went back up by three at 50-47 while it kept the Falcons off the board for the next 2 minutes, 49 seconds. A trey by Alter at 1:21 to go off a pass by Hunter Beirne forged a 50-50 deadlock.
 
Arzner drained another 3-pointer to put Western Oregon back on top at 53-50 with 50.7 seconds to go. Hoff answered with a turnaround lay-in to get SPU back within one and still 38.9 seconds showing on the clock.
 
Kiylynn Dawkins broke in from the right side for a scoop lay-in and a 55-52 Wolves lead. A trey try by Beirne missed at 18.8 seconds and the Falcons were forced to foul. Princy Paaluhi-Caulk hit a pair of free throws with 12.6 seconds showing, creating a two-possession game at 57-52.
 
"Our shots just weren't falling. We got mostly the shots we wanted," Simonson said. "Credit to Western Oregon – they played well. They made big shots and they won the game."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- Seattle Pacific and Western Oregon wound up with a split of their season series.
-- Along with her 15 points and six rebounds, Ashley Alter came up with a career-high seven steals. Her previous best was five, which she had twice, most recently on Dec. 29 in a 58-45 victory against Northwest Nazarene.
-- Her seven steals were part of the season-high 15 for Seattle Pacific. The previous high was 13, reached twice.
-- Long-range shooting continued to be a struggle for the Falcons. They were just 3 of 18  (16.7 percent) after going 0 for 9 on Thursday against Saint Martin's.
-- Kylee Arzner finished with 15 points for Western Oregon all from downtown, led WOU with 16.
 Princy Paaluhi-Caulk.

UP NEXT
The Falcons have just one game this coming week, playing host to Montana State Billings on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. The Yellowjackets won the first contest between the teams last month in Billings, 66-49.


NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Western Oregon 57, Seattle Pacific 52
 
WESTERN OREGON (10-10, 4-8 GNAC)
Dawkins 2-2 0-0 4, C. McClave 4-10 6-9 14, Glenn 1-3 2-2 4, A. McClave 0-0 0-0 0, Paaluhi-Caulk 6-17 2-2 16, Winkler 1-2 0-0 2, Arzner 5-8 0-0 15, Harman 0-3 0-0 0, Tuivai 0-0 0-0 0, Arnold 1-1 0-0 2.  Totals 20-46 10-13 57.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (12-9, 7-6 GNAC)
Weatherspoon 1-3 0-0 2, N. Hoff 3-8 5-8 11, Beirne 3-0 0-0 6, Eddy 3-11 0-0 8, Alter 7-17 0-0 15, M. Hoff 3-8 1-2 7, Berry 0-2 1-4 1, Marlow 1-4 0-1 2.  Totals 21-62 7-15 52.
 
Western Oregon                 9              17           17           14           -- 57
Seattle Pacific                     19           11           10           12           -- 52
 
3-point goals – WOU 7-20 (C. McClave 0-2, Glenn 0-1, Paaluhi-Caulk 2-5, Winkler 0-1, Arzner 5-8, Harman 0-3), SPU 3-18 (N. Hoff 0-1, Beirne 0-2, Eddy 2-8, Alter 1-7).  Fouled out – None.  Rebounds – WOU 36 (C. McClave 8), SPU 32 (N. Hoff 9).  Assists – WOU 11 (C. McClave 3), SPU 10 (Beirne 5).  Turnovers – WOU 25, SPU 14.  Total fouls – WOU 15, SPU 14.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 176.
 
 
Next game
Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Feb. 11     2:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.