Seattle Pacific University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams found fortune and misfortune on the road and at home.
Women’s basketball traveled to play against Montana State University Billings on Saturday, Feb. 17. Both SPU and MSU Billings entered the game on a four-game winning streak. The Falcons kept a 10-10 tie for the first quarter before MSU Billings gained a lead in the second. MSU Billings held onto the lead for the remainder of the game, with the Falcons trailing no closer than three points behind. After a close battle, SPU lost 66-55.
Top scorers against MSU Billings were junior forward Olivia Mayer (17 points), senior guard Hunter Beirne (16 points) and freshman guard Layne Kearns (8 points).
The women will return to SPU’s Royal Brougham Pavilion for their final home games of the season. On Thursday, Feb. 22, they will play Simon Frasier University at 7 p.m. and Western Washington University at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Men’s basketball took on Simon Frasier University on Thursday, Feb. 15, and then Western Oregon University on Saturday, Feb. 17. Both games were at the Falcons’ home gym.
Tailing Simon Frasier 29-28 by the end of the first half, the Falcons returned with a fury in the second. Almost immediately, the Falcons gained a 42-40 lead in the second half and kept the momentum until only a little more than 10 minutes remained in the game. After a close battle, the Falcons’ 58-51 lead became a 69-63 disadvantage.
Simon Frasier won 84-76. SPU’s top scorers were senior forward Shaw Anderson (19 points), sophomore guard Jaden Penigar ( 20 points) and sophomore forward Jonas LaTour (12 points).
The Falcons’ luck changed when they won 82-69 against Western Oregon University. Top scorers for the game were Anderson (23 points), Penigar (17 points) and sophomore guard Owen Moriarty (13 points).
Although not one of the night’s top scorers, junior guard Maui Sze achieved his 1000th career point. Sze transferred to SPU after two seasons at Bellevue College, where he amassed 689 points. When Sze entered the game against Western Oregon University, he carried 997 points on his back. Near the end of the first half, Sze sunk a three-pointer basket to secure his millennium in points.
SPU’s men’s team will return for their final home game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m.
Senior night for men’s and women’s will be held before their respective games on Feb. 24. The men’s team will celebrate Kobe Elsner, Anderson and DJ Clark. Hailey Marlow and Hunter Beirne will be celebrated by the women’s team.
Still fighting for a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships in March, the SPU men’s team has three games remaining in its regular season and the women’s team has four.
The conference tournament will be hosted by Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington from March 7 to March 9. The top six teams are invited, with the top two seeds earning a bye week into the semifinals.
SPU’s track and field team did not compete over the weekend from Feb. 17 to Feb. 18. The Falcons were instead prepping for their upcoming GNAC indoor championships on Monday, Feb. 19, and Tuesday, Feb. 20. Events took place at the Podium in Spokane, Washington, beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday and 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
