SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team hosted Central Washington on Thursday night when the Falcons needed and overcame two separate 10-point deficits that were punctuated emphatically by a last-second putback layup from Shaw Anderson that proved to be the game-winner of a 77-75 SPU victory.
The Falcons turned to their star in Thursday's victory over the Wildcats. Anderson was sensational throughout the game, scoring 33 points on 13-for-25 shooting, with six rebounds and five assists. His biggest bucket of the game proved to be his last.
SPU started its final possession with 9.3 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 75. Maui Sze sent a long pass down court where Owen Moriarty caught it and attacked the basket. Moriarty threw up a tough shot that bounced hard off the backboard. While most turned to see if the shot would fall, Anderson flew down the lane for the putback opportunity. He'd rebound and shoot the ball in one motion, laying it up and in to put the Falcons up by two.
"That's what makes him [Shaw] one of the best," interim head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "He makes the threes, he makes tough shots, we call isolation for him and he comes through. He's also the guy who hunts down the biggest offensive rebound of the night and puts it in. He's put in tremendous amounts of work, his teammates love him, and we're thrilled he's on our team. He's just that guy."
SPU defended for 3.3 seconds, and despite a decent look for the Wildcats, walked away victorious on their home floor for the eighth time this season.
Anderson's 33 points set a new season high for the senior from Kelso, Wash. He'll enter Saturday's 2 p.m. game against Northwest Nazarene with 1,785 career points. He trails David Down (2011-14) by one point for third all-time in scoring and could move into second with 13 points against the Nighthawks. Dustin Bremerman (2003-07) is in second with 1,797 career points.
The Falcons turned in a gritty performance to pull off the win against the Wildcats. They trailed 44-34 with 17:10 to play in the game. From there, SPU went on a 13-4 run that lasted 3:36. SPU went 5-for-8 from the field and was led by eight points from Jonas La Tour. The quick spurt brought them within three points of CWU.
With 10:47 to play, the Falcons trailed by 10 points again. Coach Fazio turned to unique lineups, as Kobe Elsner and Theo McMillan played crucial minutes in the second half. The spark they provided defensively helped get the Falcons back in the game.
"We needed two different stretches to get it done tonight," Fazio said. "Theo, Kobe, and Jonas gave us a spark. It showed our team that overcoming adversity and moments of struggle in games is doable. We strung together a couple of shots, found each other on offense, and made some shots to get things going."
SPU busted out another momentum-swinging run. This time, it was a 13-2 jolt that lasted 3:40. Anderson took over during that span, leading the team with eight points. The run was capped when Sze found Kyle Luttinen at the top of the key. The elite 3-point shooting splashed home a triple that put the Falcons up 62-61 with 7:07 left in the game. Luttinen finished the night with 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
"It almost felt like any time we needed a big shot, Kyle made one," Fazio said. "His biggest play of the night was an offensive rebound and putback. It helped keep momentum on our side and helped us find a way to come through. This was the proverbial get over the hump game for us and we're looking to learn from and build momentum from it."
SPU grew their lead to 75-69 with 1:05 left to play. The Wildcats forced the Falcons into turnovers and easy baskets to tie the game at 75 with 9.3 seconds left. SPU made the plays they needed late to secure the victory.
The Falcons face another conference foe on Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host Northwest Nazarene inside Royal Brougham Pavilion.
SPU SOCIAL
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons