23MBB_Anderson_Shaw
82
Winner Northwest Nazarene NNU 13-14,9-9 Great Northwest
74
Seattle Pacific SPU 17-11,12-6 Great Northwest
Winner
Northwest Nazarene NNU
13-14,9-9 Great Northwest
82
Final
74
Seattle Pacific SPU
17-11,12-6 Great Northwest
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northwest Nazarene NNU 33 49 82
Seattle Pacific SPU 43 31 74

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Falcons Fall in First Round of GNAC Tournament

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team took on Northwest Nazarene in the opening round of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Falcons were prolific throughout the first half, but momentum swung violently toward the Nighthawks, as their strong second half carried them to an 82-74 victory over SPU.
 
The Falcons opened the game on fire from 3-point range. Over the first 4:34, SPU went on a 17-7 run that saw the Falcons go 5-for-6 from deep. Zack Paulsen powered the run with eight points.
 
SPU led 17-10 with 14:21 to play in the first half. Syon Blackmon attacked the basket for a layup that started an 8-0 run. Blackmon had four points, while Casson Rouse capped the 3:24 stretch with a 3-pointer to put the Falcons up 25-10 nearing the 10-minute mark in the first half. SPU went on to hold a 43-33 lead at halftime.
 
The Falcons were superb in the first half against the Nighthawks. The team went 14-for-21 (66.7 percent) from the field while going 6-for-10 (60 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. SPU guarded well, nabbing four steals and forcing the Nighthawks into 10 turnovers in the first half. The Falcons dropped 15 points off turnovers.
 
"We did such a good job executing in the first half," head coach Grant Leep said. "We had a good rhythm going mad evident with how well we were shooting it. NNU turned up the pressure on us by with physicality. Our guys fought and battled, but NNU found a way to make shots. They did a good job of executing their offense, and our guys ended up back on their heels defensively."
 
Halftime put a stop to the Falcons' offensive efficiency. The team shot 30.7 percent (8-for-26) from the field in the final 20 minutes, including just two made 3-pointers. At the same time, NNU found momentum and energy. The Nighthawks shot 58.6 percent (17-for-29) for the half.
 
NNU found a way to clean up their turnovers in the second half. SPU forced just three. The Nighthawks were great on the boards, pulling down 32 to 23 from the Falcons.
 
Shaw Anderson proved why he was named First Team All-GNAC earlier in the week. He led everyone with 29 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Anderson was great from the free throw line, hitting 13 of his 15 attempts. He added three rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal to his stat line. Paulsen joined Anderson in double figures with 13 points.
 
"It's just tough," Leep added. "In a tournament format, you want to keep going as long as you can. It's a tough pill to swallow now, but give credit to NNU. They did a nice job."
 
The Falcon entered the weekend ranked eighth in the NCAA West Regional Rankings. The NCAA Selection Show happens this Sunday at 8 p.m. PST.  
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