SEATTLE – Owen Moriarty led the Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team with 24 points in the Falcons' 82-65 victory over Western Oregon on Thursday night inside Royal Brougham Pavilion.
Moriarty had a sensational start when the Falcons played the Wolves on Thursday night. He scored seven consecutive points to open the game for the Falcons. Moriarty had 11 points in five minutes. By halftime, the junior from Seattle had 17 points on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting.
Foul trouble kept Moriarty from a massive offensive night. He finished with 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Thursday was Moriarty's seventh game with 20 or more points this season. He added five rebounds and had one assist in a solid performance for the Falcons.
"Owen gave us a big boost, especially in the first half," head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "I thought he played well picking his spots. He's been consistent for us all season long."
The Falcons led the Wolves 28-27 with 4:29 to play in the first half. SPU went on a 9-4 run to close out the half. Jonas La Tour started the run with a 3-pointer. Mason Landdeck knocked down a pair of free throws. Moriarty closed out the half as he started it. He made consecutive baskets and put the Falcons up 37-31 at the break.
SPU took control of the game early in the second half. Jaxon Nap splashed home a 3-pointer, followed by two more from La Tour. Those baskets were part of a 23-15 run that lasted 9:16. La Tour scored 12 points during the run, while Nikias Schoenerstedt provided five points off the bench. The Falcons went on to beat the Wolves 82-65.
"I'm really happy about our second half," Fazio said. "Several guys did a lot of good things that may not show up in the box score tonight."
The Falcons gained a massive advantage on the glass against the Wolves. SPU pulled down 36 rebounds to 24 from WOU. The Falcons scored 44 points in the paint and finished the game with a 57.7 shooting percentage (30-for-52).
La Tour was the second-leading scorer for the Falcons. He had 18 points and hit four 3-pointers. Landdeck played the entire game and was the final Falcon in double-figures with 12 points. Landdeck, Trace Evans, and Nap tied for a team-high three assists. Nap grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. It was Nap's 11th game with double-digit rebounds this season.
"Mason played all 40 minutes and had the ball in his hand," Fazio said. "I thought he did a good job playing the point and defending. He provided great leadership for us."
The Falcons host #25 Saint Martin's on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
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