SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team plans to honor
Maui Sze,
DJ Clark,
Kobe Elsner, and
Shaw Anderson before their final regular season home game against Montana State University Billings on Saturday at 2 p.m.
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"This senior class is a special one. This is my first senior class. Seniors are critical to this season's success, and these four seniors we have this year impacted beyond the surface." interim head coach
Keffrey Fazio
ABOUT THE SENIORS
MAUI SZE
Sze joined the Falcons in 2022 and has appeared in 47 games. He's scored 321 points with the Falcons and eclipsed 1,000 collegiate points between his time at Bellevue College and Seattle Pacific last Saturday. Sze has shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range. He has pulled down 122 rebounds and 162 assists. He's also a member of the 2023 GNAC All-Academic team.
"One of my favorite memories is my first ever game in an SPU jersey at home against Lincoln and creating off-court relationships with my teammates," Sze said.
"Maui has been part of our culture since the first day he stepped into our locker room," Fazio said. "A great leader and incredibly brilliant mind."
DJ CLARK
Clark joined the Falcons in 2022 and has appeared in nine games. He's turned into a team-favorite, earning the respect and admiration of his teammates during his time with the Falcons.
"My favorite memories are meeting and traveling with his teammates, spending time off the court together, and hanging out at Gwinn Commons," Clark said.
"DJ is a legacy member of our program," Fazio said. "His father played and graduated from SPU. DJ is one of the most liked members of our team and has been a hard worker since day one in our program."
KOBE ELSNER
Elsner joined the Falcons in 2020 and has appeared in 46 games. He's scored 21 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and has dished out 10 assists.
"My favorite memories include traveling with the guys, playing games in the car, team meals, and delivering and receiving notes to and from the team," Elsner said.
"Kobe is the ultimate team and program guy," Fazio said. "He shows up every day and is one of the hardest workers we have. Kobe has added tremendous value to our program during his time with us."
SHAW ANDERSON
Anderson is wrapping up one of the most decorated careers in SPU men's basketball history. He's appeared in and started 112 games for the Falcons. He ranks second all-time in program history in scoring 1,896 points and is just 52 points shy of Loren Anderson's program record of 1,948 points. He's pulled down 492 rebounds, dished out 207 assists, had 57 blocked shots, and has nabbed 53 steals. Anderson's accolades include a unanimous GNAC Preseason All-Conference team selection and GNAC Preseason Player of the Year, four GNAC Player of the Week awards, a First Team All-Gnac selection, D2CCA West Region First Team honors, and NABC First Team All-District honors.
"My favorite memories at SPU are the trips we get to go on," Anderson said. "The flights, van rides, eating together, and all the time that we get to spend together that seems insignificant at the moment were the best times I had at SPU over the last five years with all of the great teammates I have had in my time here."
"Shaw is one of the all-time SPU greats," Fazio said. "He never misses a game or a practice. For as good of a basketball player and scorer he is, his best attribute is his team-minded approach to everything."
MAKING THE GRADE
The GNAC announced its Men's Basketball All-Academic team last Wednesday with Seattle Pacific's
Trace Evans,
Maui Sze, and
Kyle Luttinen all earning the honors.
To make the GNAC All-Academic team, nominees must have a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.00 scale (based on GPA at the current institution). Nominees must be in their second season competing at the nominating institution. Freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and transfers in their first year competing at your institution are not eligible. For graduate students, the undergraduate GPA must also meet the 3.2 minimum. Nominees must be on the roster for the complete season.
The SPU men's basketball program checked in with a cumulative 3.35 grade point average in the fall of 2023.
Elsner,
Nikias Schoenerstedt,
Jacob Gray,
Logan Kinloch,
Jonas La Tour,
Julian Mora,
Owen Moriarty,
David Zachman, and
Brian Caldera all checked in with cumulative GPAs over 3.0 but did not meet qualifications for recognition.
ABOUT RV MSU BILLINGS
When the Yellowjackets arrive in Seattle, they'll show up with a spot in the GNAC tournament locked up. They're 19-6 this season, with a 13-2 GNAC record that puts them atop the standings. They're riding a five-game winning streak and took down Saint Martin's 83-78 last Saturday.
The Yellowjackets have been stout defensively this season. They're holding opponents to 69.6 points per game while putting up 76.5 points per game. Jalen Tot has been great, scoring 15.8 points per game with 3.9 rebounds per game. Daniel Moody is scoring 14 points per game with a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game.
The Falcons played the Yellowjackets on Jan. 27 in Billings. SPU fell 81-75 to MSUB. The game got away from SPU in the final 12 minutes of the first half. The Yellowjackets went on a 27-6 run to take a 38-26 halftime lead. The Falcons tried, but couldn't quite get back in the game.
Anderson led the Falcons with 20 points on 6-for-12 shooting. He'd add six rebounds and dish out three assists for a strong all-around night. Moriarty scored 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting with a rebound and four assists. Evans scored 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting with a team-high seven rebounds.
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