SEATTLE – Not only will the women's basketball season start earlier than usual for the Seattle Pacific Falcons. …
… it'll start in another country.
And as was the case last year, it'll start against national-caliber opponents.
The Falcons will officially open the 2024-25 schedule on Friday through Sunday at the D2CCA Canadian Tip-Off Classic in Langley, British Columbia. This is the second straight year Seattle Pacific will be represented in the preseason tournament, as the men's team had the opportunity to play in it last November.
Karen Byers
Under the direction of interim head coach
Karen Byers, the Falcons will find out rather quickly how they stack up against top-flight teams. The opener is Nov. 1 against Tampa, followed by Gannon of Pennsylvania on Nov. 2, both tipping off at 10:30 a.m. inside the Langley Events Center.
Those two teams reached last season's Elite Eight, Gannon (35-3) finished No. 4 in the final poll and Tampa (31-7) wound up at No. 7..
The tournament finale for SPU is a West Region match-up against Dominican on Nov. 3 at 12:45 p.m.
"That is going to be a very good test," Byers said. "It's going to give us some feedback of what we need to work on and where we're at in the season. I'm really excited to play them because it's an opportunity to play teams that we probably would never see or play, and I'm curious how that will work.:
The rest of November is filled with three preseason tournaments, two of which will be in Brougham Pavilion. After heading to Carson, California for the West Region Crossover Classic on Nov. 8-9 at Cal State Domingues Hills, the Falcons will host the SPU West Region Crossover on Nov. 15-16 and the SPU Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 29-30.
The West Crossover will have contests against Cal State San Marcos and Azusa Pacific. The Thanksgiving will bring Colorado Christian and Metro State to town from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of the schedule begins with a road trip to Simon Fraser on Thursday, Dec. 5, and to Western Washington on Saturday, Dec. 7. Those will be the only two GNAC games until after the Christmas / New Year's holidays.
The final two weeks before Christmas will have the four remaining non-conference games. Those are split between home and road. Stanislaus State (Dec. 14 at 2:00 p.m.) and Pacific Lutheran (Dec. 17 at 5:15 p.m.) come to Brougham. Then SPU heads to Salt Lake City to face RMAC schools Westminster on Dec. 20 and Metro State on Dec. 21. Westminster will host both contests.
The Falcons are particular eager for another shot at Stanislaus. The Warriors have won the last three meetings by a combined total of seven points: 57-55 in Turlock, California in 2021; then 63-62 on a buzzer-beater in Seattle in 2022, and 70-66 in Turlock in 2023.
Conference play resumes on Saturday, Jan. 4, at Montana State Billings. The first two GNAC home games are the following week when Saint Martin's (Jan. 9) and Western Oregon (Jan. 11) are in Seattle.
Of the nine GNAC home dates, seven will be doubleheaders with the Seattle Pacific men. The only two stand-alone conference home games are the last two of the season: Feb. 27 against Western Washington and March 1 against Simon Fraser.
SPU's women and men will be part of the same doubleheader in four road contests: at Central Washington on Jan.16, at Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 18, at Alaska Fairbanks on Feb. 20, and at Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 22.
"The GNAC is so tough. I love the competition in the GNAC," Byers said. "We've got some really heavy hitters with Western Washington and Billings.
"We have some work to do," Byers added. "But I really think we're going to surprise some people."
2024-25 SEATTLE PACIFIC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
D2CCA CANADIAN TIP-OFF CLASSIC / LANGLEY, B.C.
Friday, Nov. 1 Tampa 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2 Gannon 10:45 a.m.
Sunday, Nov. 3 Dominican 12:45 p.m.
WEST REGION CROSSOVER CLASSIC / CARSON, CALIF.
Friday, Nov. 8 Cal State Los Angeles 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9 Cal State Dominguez Hills 5:30 p.m.
SPU WEST REGION CROSSOVER / BROUGHAM PAVILION
Friday, Nov. 15 W. Washington vs. Azusa Pacific 4:00 p.m.
SPU vs. Cal State San Marcos 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov 16 W. Washington vs. San Marcos 4:00 p.m.
SPU vs. Azusa Pacific 6:00 p.m.
SPU THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT / BROUGHAM PAVILION
Friday Nov. 29 Saint Martin's vs. Colo. Chr. 1:00 p.m.
SPU vs. Metro State 3:15 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30 Saint Martin's vs. Metro State 1:00 p.m.
SPU vs. Colo. Christian 3:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 5 *at Simon Fraser 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7 *at Western Washington 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 Stanislaus State 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 Pacific Lutheran 5:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 20 at Westminster Noon PDT
Saturday, Dec. 21 Metro State (at Westminster) Noon PDT
Saturday, Jan. 4 *at Montana State Billings 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 9 *Saint Martin's 5:15 p.m
Saturday, Jan. 11 *Western Oregon 4:15 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 16 *at Central Washington 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 18 *at Northwest Nazarene 4:15 p.m.
Thursday Jan. 23 *Alaska Anchorage 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25 *Alaska Fairbanks 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 1 *Montana State Billings 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 6 *at Western Oregon 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8 *at Saint Martin's 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 13 *Northwest Nazarene 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15 *Central Washington 4:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 *at Alaska Fairbanks 6:15 p.m.
Saturday, Feb 22 *at Alaska Anchorage 6:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 27 *Western Washington 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 *Simon Fraser 2:00 p.m.
*GNAC
GNAC TOURNAMENT / SAINT MARTIN'S (LACEY)
Thursday, March 6 First round 5:15 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 7 Semifinals 5:15 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 8 Championship 7:00 p.m.
