SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team hits the road for Great Northwest Athletic Conference games this weekend. The Falcons play Simon Fraser on Thursday in Burnaby, B.C. followed by a matchup with Western Washington in Bellingham, Wash. Both games tip off at 7:00 p.m.
QUOTABLE
"At this stage of the year, everyone is hungry and capable of playing well," head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "I think our focus needs to remain on us and how we can find ways to continue to improve. We had a nice home stand, but conference play rolls on, and we'll continue to work hard and keep the focus on us. So far, we've seen in this league that anyone can beat anyone, and you have to bring it every night. This week, nothing changes for us."
HOME SWEET HOME
The Falcons took advantage of a four-game home stand in the middle of their GNAC schedule. SPU sat down Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Fairbanks, and Western Oregon, then ranked #25 Saint Martin's on their home floor. The four-game winning streak is the longest of the season for the Falcons. SPU is carrying another streak, having won eight consecutive home games dating back to a 110-47 victory over Evergreen State on Dec. 18.
LAST TIME OUT
The Falcons punctuated a weekend sweep by taking down a National Basketball Association of Coaches top 25 team last Saturday. The Falcons beat Saint Martin's 72-65 to extend their winning streak to four games.
The game between the Falcons and the Saints featured 12 ties and 15 lead changes. The score was tied at 52 when SPU went on its game-winning run. Jonas La Tour and Grant Coleman splashed home back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 15-6 run that lasted 8:44. Five Falcons scored during that stretch, led by five from La Tour. The Falcons made free throws late to secure the victory.
Mason Landdeck scored a game-high 20 points. He was great from 3-point range, sinking four of his seven attempts. Landdeck added four rebounds and five assists to a solid all-around performance.
Jaxon Nap was sensational on the glass. He tied SMU's Myles Samuels with a game-high 11 rebounds. Saturday was Nap's 12th game this season with double-digit rebounds. He's had double-digit rebounds in his last four games.
CONVERTING HIS FREE THROWS
Owen Moriarty has been an elite free throw shooter throughout 2024-25. He's shooting 89.5 percent from the free throw line and ranks second in the GNAC in free throw percentage. He's taken the second-most free throws of anyone inside the top 10 and has the fourth-most attempts in the conference. Moriarty ranks 29th in the country in field goal percentage and has taken the 10th most free throws in NCAA DII.
While the Falcons have been on a winning streak, Moriarty is working on a streak of his own. He went 6-for-6 from the free throw line against the Saints last Saturday. Moriarty has had 12 games in which he's made every free throw he's attempted this season. He hasn't missed a free throw in five games and has made 23 in a row.
NO REBOUND LEFT BEHIND
Nap continues to be one of the best rebounders in the country. The transfer from Montana leads the GNAC in rebounds per game with 9.8 per game. He's grabbed 216 total rebounds this year. The next closest GNAC player is Kael Robinson of MSU Billings. Nap ranks 16th in the country in rebounds per game.
The Falcons rank second in the conference in team defensive rebounding. They're pulling in 27.8 defense rebounds per game. Alaska Fairbanks leads the league with 28.3 defensive rebounds per game. The Falcons have the third-most defensive rebounds with 611 this season.
EFFICIENCY UNDERNEATH
Trace Evans has been one of the most efficient players in the country. He's shooting 66 percent from the field this season. He ranks third in the GNAC in shooting percentage. Evans has attempted 162 shots, the second-most of anyone in the GNAC inside the top 10 in shooting percentage. Evans is the only GNAC player in the top 10 in the country in terms of field goal percentage, ranking ninth.
Nap is also inside the top 10 in the GNAC in field goal percentage. He's made 52.2 percent of his 167 attempts. He ranks eighth in the conference in shooting percentage.
SPU's presence in the paint has led to a solid team shooting percentage. The Falcons rank third in the GNAC with a 47.7 team field goal percentage. The Falcons are averaging 73.8 points per game while holding opponents to 70.7 points per game. SPU's opponents' scoring average is third-best in the GNAC.
GNAC STANDINGS
The Falcons enter the weekend tied for third in the conference with Saint Martin's. Both teams own a 7-4 GNAC record. Central Washington leads the standings with an 8-2 record. Northwest Nazarene is in second at 7-3. Western Washington and MSU Billings are tied for fifth with 6-5 records. Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Anchorage, Simon Fraser, and Western Oregon round out the standings.
GNAC teams are playing for a spot in the GNAC Tournament on March 6-8 at Saint Martin's in Lacey, Wash. The top six teams in the GNAC standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the GNAC Tournament. The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinal round. The quarterfinal round will match the Nos. 3 and 6 seeds in one game and the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds in the other game. Quarterfinal winners will advance to Friday's semifinals. Semifinal winners will meet on Saturday for the championship.
ABOUT SIMON FRASER
The Red Leafs are 7-14 entering this weekend with a 3-8 conference record. They're currently in ninth in the GNAC standings. The first meeting between the Falcons and Red Leafs happened on Jan. 11 in Seattle. SPU beat SFU 71-56. La Tour scored 22 points, Nap grabbed 15 rebounds, and SPU hit 16 straight free throws as part of a game-breaking 21-9 scoring run to beat Simon Fraser.
ABOUT WESTERN WASHINGTON
The Vikings enter the weekend 14-7 with a 6-5 record in GNAC play. SPU hosted WWU on Jan. 9, when the Falcons beat the Vikings 97-86. SPU led for the entire second half until the Vikings tied the game at 74 with 4:34 left to play. The Falcons answered with a 23-12 run down the stretch. They went 4-for-4 from the field, including three clutch 3-pointers. The Falcons went 12-for-14 from the free throw line to secure the victory.
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