SEATTLE – A slow start hindered the Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team in its CCAA Crossover matchup against Cal Poly Pomona that proved to be too much to overcome as the Falcons fell to the Broncos, 70-60.
The Falcons offense could not find its rhythm early against the Broncos. SPU went 4-for-12 from the field during the first 11:09. While the Falcons struggled, the Broncos pulled away. They went 10-for-19 from the field and broke out to a 25-11 lead.
"I thought last night we started very well," head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "Tonight was the opposite. We came out a little flat and allowed Pomona to get some momentum. It put us in a position where we were chasing all night."
Jonas La Tour gave the Falcons the offense they needed in the first half. The redshirt sophomore from Poulsbo poured in 11 points during the first 20 minutes of the game. La Tour led all scorers with 14 points, including four made 3-pointers.
David Zachman provided a lift off the bench late in the first half. He scored back-to-back layups in the final minute to bring the Falcons to within 11 points of the Broncos at halftime.
SPU put themselves back into the game at the beginning of the second half. An 11-5 run lasting 3:49 had the Falcons trailing by five. Owen Moriarty had four points during that span while Henry Sandberg splashed home a 3-pointer. Julian Mora's floating jumper with 9:09 left to play got the game to within three points, but that's as close as the Falcons would get down the stretch.
"I'm proud of our response coming out of the locker at halftime," Fazio said. "But at this level, if you only play one half a basketball you lose every time."
Trace Evans had another solid night for the Falcons. He scored an efficient 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting with three rebounds. Mora scored 10 points with a team-high four assists. Jaxon Nap pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for the Falcons.
SPU went 24-for-58 (41.1 percent) from the field in Saturday's game. The Falcons hit eight 3-pointers, one more than their opponents. The Broncos found a way to get to the free throw line, going 13-19 during the game. The Falcons made four free throws.
"We're still learning who this team is going to be and what we're capable of," Fazio added. "Good news is we play again on Monday. We will be doing a lot of learning on the court this November, and hopefully, it suits us down the road."
The Falcons are back inside Royal Brougham Pavilion on Monday for a game against No 12 Dominguez Hills that tips off at 7:00 p.m.
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