PORTLAND, Ore. – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Team of the Week after sweeping Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks in the final weekend of regular-season play.
"I'm really proud of our team and their finish to the conference season," interim head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "The Alaska road trip is always a challenge, and our players really battled to get two key wins for us as we head into the conference tournament. We didn't shoot the ball, particularly well, which is something we rely on to help us win, but our defense got it done for us this trip. That's a great sign as we head into March."
The Falcons entered the weekend needing to play well to earn a spot in this weekend's GNAC Tournament. They'd go on to lock themselves into the dance with a 65-64 road victory over the Seawolves.
The end of the first half was pivotal for the Falcons against the Seawolves on Thursday night. They trailed 20-19 when a Shaw Anderson jumper started a 15-4 run that covered the final 5:13 of the first half. SPU went 6-for-7 from the field while holding UAA to just two made field goals. Owen Moriarty led the offensive output with seven points during that span. The run gave the Falcons a 34-24 lead at halftime.
The Falcons led 61-51 with 3:39 left in the game. From there, the Seawolves went on a 13-4 run that put them within a point of the Falcons. SPU survived missing five free throws in the final minute with a key defensive stop. UAA's Jaron Williams had a chance to win the game with a layup, but the ball rolled off the rim and was secured by the Falcons as time expired.
Anderson led the Falcons with 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including a 2-for-3 effort from 3-point range. He went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Moriarty scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting with six rebounds and three assists. Theo McMillan led the Falcons with a team-high five assists.
The Falcons closed out their regular season with a 62-56 defeat of the Nanooks. The Falcons overcame a sluggish first half on Saturday. Jonas La Tour knocked down a 3-pointer with 14:12 remaining in the game. It started a 10:35 run that saw SPU outscore UAF 25-10. Kyle Luttinen led the team with six points during that stretch, while La Tour, Trace Evans, and Jadin Penigar scored five points each. The Falcons led 54-46 and would keep their lead until the final buzzer.
Anderson and Luttinen tied with a team-high 16 points each. Luttinen made four 3-pointers. Evans was the only other Falcon in double-figures with 11 points. The big man tied Anderson and Penigar with a team-high seven rebounds.
Anderson highlighted the weekend by becoming the all-time leading scorer in program history. With 5:17 remaining in the first half against the Nanooks, Anderson knocked down the 207th 3-pointer of his career to move to the top of the all-time scoring list. Anderson's current record now sits at 1,959 points and counting.
The Falcons turn their attention to the postseason. They'll play host Central Washington at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in the opening round of the GNAC Tournament.
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