The Falcons moved up to the top four in the Great Northwest Athletics Conference (GNAC) after two double-digit victories, with a conference record of 8-4.
Entering the week, the Falcons looked to get things back on track after a three-game losing streak, and that is what they were able to accomplish.
On Thursday, Jan. 31, Seattle Pacific University faced Simon Fraser University, winning 92-76, then the Falcons continued the solid play by defeating Western Washington 91-75.
Falcons head coach Grant Leep said he was relieved the team was able to put together two victories this past week and end a three-game losing streak.
“We started getting back to our identity,” Leep stated after SPU won out this week after recent struggles.
He also went on to say, “When we are at our best, we are rebounding, sharing the ball, and taking care of the ball.”
Against SFU, SPU opened the game with positive play, outscoring SFU 48-37 in the first half. The Falcons shot 50 percent from the field and 61 percent from the 3-point line. SPU first-year Divant’e Moffitt led the Falcons at halftime, scoring 12 points and shooting 100 percent.
Entering the second half, the Falcons came out firing and went on a 6-0 run to start off, pushing their lead to 17 points. SPU was able to keep their second-half lead in the double digits.
SPU would comfortably beat Simon Fraser University 92-76. Senior Falcon Coleman Wooten had a fantastic night, scoring a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Moffitt finished the night with 21 points.
Leep said his team was successful because, “We had 21 assists on 31 made baskets. We out-rebounded them by 14, only giving up four offensive rebounds, and we cut our turnovers down. That is a good recipe for us.”
Coming into the weekend the Falcons matched up against Western Washington University, who were 11-10 overall and 5-6 in the GNAC.
The Falcons got off to the hot start that they had hoped for, leading 43-38 at the half.
SPU was able to limit their turnovers to three in the first half. In previous games, SPU has struggled with allowing a lot of turnovers, but they were able to keep it to a minimum this go around.
WWU played well in the second half, looking to close the gap.
However, the Vikings struggled due to shooting a meek 27 percent from the 3-point line. SPU held a steady lead the entire second half, and were able to hold onto it and win 91-75.
Five Falcons had double digit points in the game against WWU, but of those, Nikhil Lizotte led, scoring 20 points against WWU.
SPU now sits in fourth place in the GNAC with a 11-6 overall record and 8-4 within their conference.
The Falcons hit the road again for their next two games against the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks and look to climb the ranks.
Leep emphasized the team needed to “do a good job defensively,” in order to continue the win-win weeks.
