Seattle Pacific men’s basketball had a rebounding performance after returning from the holiday break.
Following a two-win streak, Seattle Pacific suffered their second loss in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Seattle Pacific previously lost its first GNAC match to Montana State University Billings, the first of a four-game losing streak. The Falcons seemed to correct the pattern when they defeated Evergreen State College and Douglass College before the holiday break.
Instead, the Falcons ended their win streak by falling 71-53 to the Saint Martin’s University Saints in their second GNAC match in Lacey, Washington. Seattle Pacific salvaged the weekend with their first conference win 81-68 against Western Oregon University on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Junior guard Owen Moriarty and redshirt-junior guard Mason Landdeck were the top scorers against the Saints with 14 and 12 points respectively.
The Saints led for the first eight minutes before Moriarty set the Falcons ahead on a fastbreak. Seattle Pacific almost ended the first half with an advantage, but SMU managed a 26-26 tie with three minutes left. The Falcons lost the lead and trailed the Saints 30-26 at halftime.
The second half saw four lead changes and three ties. Saint Martin’s lost the lead three times in 43 seconds thanks to a three-pointer from Landdeck, a 35-35 tie and a layup from Moriarty. The Falcons led for five minutes before SMU regained the lead and took the game.
Seattle Pacific traveled to Monmouth, Oregon, for Saturday’s game against the Western Oregon Wolves. The Falcons wasted no time getting on the board, scoring six of the first nine points. Western Oregon held the deficit at 14 for most of the half, entering halftime 47-34.
The Wolves nearly overcame the Falcons six minutes into the second half. Western Oregon trailed 56-47, but the Falcons quickly pulled away 67-48 thanks to combined points from Moriarty and junior guard Jaxon Nap. Seattle Pacific kept the fire burning and took the win.
Moriarty led with a game-high 24 points, followed by Nap with 19. Redshirt-sophomore forward Jonas La Tour scored 12 points and had a season-best 12 rebounds, securing his first double-double as a Falcon.
The Falcons are now 1-2 in the GNAC, ranking fifth, and 5-9 overall, ranking seventh. Their next game is against Western Washington University on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Royal Brougham Pavilion.
