SEATTLE – It wasn't the 3-point line that dinged the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Saturday.
 
It was the free throw line.
 
The Falcons effectively slowed down the nation's top long-range shooting team, but couldn't keep them off the foul stripe and dropped a 75-64 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball decision to Central Washington in Brougham Pavilion.
 
Layne Kearns led SPU (7-20, 1-13 GNAC) with 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Madison Rubino added 13, and Hunter Beirne chipped in 10 and dished six assists, including her 100th of the season – her first time in triple digits. Emilia Bishop tallied 11 points and also had eight rebounds
 
Central (18-6, 11-4 GNAC) came in leading D2 from downtown at 39.4 percent. In last month's game against Seattle Pacific in Ellensburg, the Wildcats were even hotter, hitting 10 of 19 (52.6 percent) in a 88-65 victory.
 
On Saturday, they hit just 5 of 15 (33.3 percent). But the Cats also hit 26 of 33 free throws (78.8 percent). That was the most makes and most attempts by an SPU opponent this season.
 
 

"One thing I was expecting was to stop their 3s. We did a pretty good job on the 3," coach Karen Byers said. "But their penetration and post play is strong, and they went to the line a lot. Then we had a couple turnovers in situations where we were on a roll, but threw the ball out of bounds."
 
Central Washington led most of the afternoon. The Falcons were in front once at 13-11 late in the first quarter. The Wildcats ran off nine straight to take a 20-13 advantage in the opening moments of the second period.
 
Even so, the game was within reach for the Falcons most of the way. Down 40-30 at halftime and 42-30 early in the third, SPU ran off seven straight on a 3-pointer by Grace Turley, a reverse lay-in by Kearns, and a lay-in by Rubino to make it 42-37.
 
The Wildcats came right back with a 10-4 run to extend it back into double digits at 52-41 and never led by less than eight after that.
 
Beirne's 100th assist of the season came with 4:40 left in the second quarter when she found Rubino for a jumper on the right side of the foul line.
 
She now has 103 for the year with four games left. The last Falcon to reach 100 was Suzanna Ohlsen with 110 in 2014-15.
 
"It just shows that she's an unselfish player, and she sees the court and where we can score," Byers said. "She'll put us on her back and score when she needs to. But she can distribute and she sees things that others don't, so it's great to have her."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- While Central Washington had 33 free throw attempts, SPU took 11, hitting eight of those.
-- The Falcons shot 35.1 percent from the floor (26 of 74). The Wildcats hit 40.7 percent (22 of 54).
-- Central had a pair of double-doubles: 20 points and 10 rebounds for Capri Sims; 17 points and 14 rebounds for Asher Cai. Sunny Huerta pumped in 24 points.
-- Madison Rubino had three more blocked shots, giving her 25 for the season.
 
UP NEXT
Seattle Pacific takes its final road trip of the season this coming week, visiting Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Both games tip off at 6:15 p.m. Pacific time.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Central Washington 75, Seattle Pacific 64
 
CENTRAL WASHINGTON (18-6, 11-4 GNAC)
Blodgett 0-2 0-0 0, Sims 7-15 6-6 20, Huerta 7-16 8-11 24, Smith 0-5 3-4 3, Cai 4-11 7-8 17, Coronado 3-3 2-4 8, Finch 0-0 0-0 0, DeMott 0-0 0-0 0, Marsh 1-2 0-0 3.  Totals 22-54 256-33 75.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (7-20, 1-13 GNAC)
Weatherspoon 2-7 0-0 4, Rubino 6-9 1-2 13, Turley 2-60-0 6, Beirne 3-15 3-4 10, Kearns 6-17 1-1 14, Leasure 1-3 0-0 2, Bishop 4-11 3-4 11, Ohta 1-30-02, Lavigne 1-30-02, Mertes 0-0 0-0 0.  Totals 26-74 8-11 64
 
Central Washington           17           23           18           17           -- 75
Seattle Pacific                     13           17           14           20           -- 64
 
3-point goals – CWU 5-15 (Huerta 2-5, Smith 0-5, Cai 2-3, Marsh 1-2), SPU 4-21 (Weatherspoon 0-1, Rubino 0-1, Turley 2-5, Beirne 1-5, Kearns 1-7, Leasure 0-1, Ohta 0-1).  Fouled out – SPU: Turley, Kearns.  Rebounds – CWU 46 (Cai 14, Sims 10), SPU 38 (Kearns 8, Bishop 8).  Assists – CWU 7 (Smith 2, Coronado 2), SPU 13 (Beirne 6).  Turnovers (points allowed) – CWU 15 (12), SPU 10 (12).  Total fouls – CWU 13, SPU 25.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 171.
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Alaska Fairbanks
Thursday, Feb.20   6:15 p.m. PST
The Patty Center / Fairbanks, Alaska


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