BURNABY, B.C. – Mason Landdeck exploded for a career-high 31 points for the Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team that picked up its fifth consecutive win with an 86-78 victory on the road against Simon Fraser on Thursday night.
"Road games in the GNAC are tough," head coach
Keffrey Fazio said. "We'll take any win. We needed to hang together in this game. I'm proud of our guy's ability to do that."
Landdeck was unstoppable for the Falcons against the Red Leafs on Thursday night. He finished with a career-best and game-high 31 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including four 3-pointers. He went 7-for-8 from the free throw line while adding three rebounds and three assists to a stellar performance north of the border.
The Falcons gained an advantage over the Red Leafs midway through the first half.
Owen Moriarty sparked a 28-13 run that lasted nearly 10 minutes. SPU went 12-for-15 from the field during that stretch. Moriarty led the Falcons with nine points, while
Jaxon Nap and Landdeck added five points each. The Falcons went on to lead 46-31 at halftime.
The Falcons had to withstand a second half run from the Red Leafs. SFU cut the lead to two points with 6:16 left to play. The Falcons went on a 16-19 run to close the game. Landdeck led the charge with eight points, while the Falcons went 4-for-7 from the field. The run secured an 86-78 victory for SPU.
"It was a great start for us," Fazio said. "Credit to Simon Fraser. They made us battle to get out of there with a big conference road win."
Nap joined Landdeck in filling it up for the Falcons. He finished with 18 points while shooting 70 percent (7-for-10) from the field. He grabbed six rebounds and added four assists for a solid night for SPU.
Moriarty was the final Falcon in double-figures against the Red Leafs. He scored 16 points while going 6-for-9 (66.7 percent) from the field. Moriarty added three rounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals to a well-played game in Canada.
The Falcons finished an excellent shooting percentage against the Red Leafs. They went 32-for-51 (62.7 percent) from the field and knocked down nine 3-point shots. Sharing the ball was key, as they racked up 19 assists for the game.
The Falcons played well in the paint. SPU outscored SFU 42-26 near the basket.
Trace Evans played a huge role, finishing with eight points on 4-for-5 shooting with two rebounds and a game-high five assists.
Defensively, the Falcons held the Red Leafs to a 27-for-58 (46.6 percent) effort from the field.
The Falcons are set for one of the biggest games of the season on Saturday when they visit Western Washington. The Falcons are riding a five-game winning streak, while the Vikings have won seven in a row. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
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