PORTLAND, Or.-Kristen Poe's two baskets with 1:10 remaining lifted Seattle Pacific University over the University of Portland 72-68, in a preseason exhibition basketball game at Chiles Center Tuesday night.

Seattle Pacific, picked to finish first in the Pacific West Conference, led the entire first half before a surge by the Pilots put the Falcons down by one with just over 6:00 to play.

A Valerie Gustafson (Fr., Black Hills, Wa.) free throw with 2:02 remaining put the Falcons up seven, a lead of which they would not relinquish.

The Falcons were 7 of 13 from behind the three point arc on the night and shot nearly 40 percent from the field (21 of 53) to the Pilots' 33 percent (23 of 69).

Poe (So., Enumclaw, Wa.) dropped in 18 points to lead all scorers and pulled down a game high 12 rebounds and had four steals for the Falcons. Teammates Kerie Hughes (So., Mount Vernon, Wa.) and Gus Balogh (Jr., Szombathely, Hungary) scored 17 and 14 points, respectively. Hughes was 3 of 4 from behind the arc.

Seattle Pacific opens its regular season Friday night with a game against Northwest College in the Wildcat Classic hosted by Central Washington University. The Falcons follow up with a 2:00 contest against Pacific (of Oregon) on Saturday. The Falcons' first home game is Wednesday, November 22 against Southern Colorado.

Seattle Pacific 72, University of Portland 68.

SPU: Poe 18, Balogh 14, Holme 2, Hughes 17, Daniel 4, Beard, Prescott, Urritia 5, Lukkes 5, Gustafson 7.

UP: Rissmiller 11, Stndish 13, Felts, 6, Giles 13, Stringer 5, Moldenhauer, Maxie 4, Woods 2, Werner, Kollten 2, Harz, Asher, Williams 12.