This week...
Wed., Nov. 23, 7 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL v SOUTHERN COLORADO, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.

Complete 2000 Schedule

Home for the holiday...
Following a pair of wins in its first two games of the regular season, the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team makes a brief stop in Brougham Pavilion for its home opener before moving on down the road. The Falcons (2-0) face Southern Colorado (2-0) in their home opener Wednesday (Nov. 22), Thanksgiving Eve. Next week they go back on the road to begin Pacific West Conference play, beginning Nov. 30 at Seattle University. The next home date is Dec. 16 versus Western Washington.

Ticket information...
General admission tickets for all SPU women's home games are priced $5, with students, youth and senior citizens $3. Wednesday's game features 2-for-1 admission. Ticket windows open one hour before game time.

So far, so good...
So far, so good for the Falcons. They won their first two games in convincing fashion, over Northwest College (100-77) and Pacific (101-57) at the Wildcat Classic in Ellensburg. Under Coach Gordy Presnell (14th year), SPU is 13-1 in opening games. The team hit just under 50 percent from the field in each contest and finished a plus-38 in rebounds and plus-21 in turnovers. But perhaps more impressive was a performance at Portland earlier in the week. Seattle Pacific shocked the Pilots 72-68, marking the first win over a Division I program since 1996-97.

Poe-etic justice...
Stamping her name all over last week was Kristen Poe (So., 5-9, Enumclaw, Wa.), who moved from the sixth man role into the starting lineup. Poe produced double-doubles in each of the three games. On opening night versus Northwest College she scored a career-high 23 points (9-15 FGs) and corralled 16 rebounds. Against Pacific she collected a dozen points and as many boards. In the exhibition game at Portland, she scored four of her 18 points in the final 2 minutes, 10 seconds, and again pulled down 12 rebounds. It's no wonder that with those Poe was selected as the PacWest player of the week.

Fill 'er up, Gus...
The last time the Falcons hit 100 or more points in back-to-back games was the 1997-98 season, en route to the Elite Eight. This year's team has a long way to go before it makes it that far but already the offense is firing on all cylinders. Balancing Poe's inside presence was forward Gus Balogh (Sr., 5-11, Szombathely, Hungary), who scored 21 and 22 points, respectively, in Ellensburg. Balogh knocked down 18 of 37 shots--mostly from the perimeter--but also moved the ball, passing for nine assists. She needs just 20 more points to surpass Shannon Holland (1979-81) for No. 7 in career scoring. Currently she has 1190.

On guard...
Presnell got scoring production out of every position, including point guard. Becka Beard (So., 5-4, Bremerton, Wa./King's West) broke loose vs. Pacific for a career-high 23 points (8-8 FGs) in just 20 minutes of work. Beard's pervious high score was eight points. Starter Kerie Hughes (So., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mr. Vernon), who had scored 17 at Portland, totaled 18 in the two counting games. Stephanie Urrutia (So., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa.), making her first starts at 2-guard, hit a career-high 14 points and had five assists and five steals against Northwest.

Centers get attention...
Jana Holme (Sr., 6-2, Tacoma, Wa./Wilson), who returned as starting center after missing last season with a broken leg, was quiet in the opener but then contributed 11 points and seven rebounds in the second game. Prized recruit Valerie Gustafson (Fr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) debuted with 14 points and 8 rebounds against Northwest College. She also had seven points and four boards at Portland.

SPU signs 5...
The Falcons not only got off to a good start to this season, but the next one as well. Presnell announced the signing of five recruits: Emily Faurholt of Kennewick High School, Ashley Cadotte of Oregon City, Angie Wells of Hillsboro's Westview, Michelle Beaumont of Bellingham's Sehome and Mackenzie Duffin from Kent-Meridian. Faurholt averaged 16.4 points as a junior for Kennewick, the 2000 state 4A champion, including 17 in the title game victory over Prairie. A 5-11 post, she was selected both first team all-conference and all-state. Beaumont, a 5-foot-11 senior, was first team all-Wesco as a junior, averaging 21.9 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Mariners. She was second team all-conference as a sophomore. This past summer Beaumont was an all-star selection at Oregon City's End of the Oregon Trail elite tournament. Duffin, at 6-2, is the tallest member of the recruiting class. Both Cadotte and Wells come from Oregon programs ranked among the top 25 nationally in one preseason poll. Cadotte is a 6-foot wing while the 5-11 Wells was a member of Westview's state championship team last spring. Westview is No. 18 and Oregon City 23rd by Hoop Planet.

Put-backs...
Liz Guppy (Jr., 6-3, Beaverton, Or./Westview) is expected to see her first action against Southern Colorado. Guppy, the team's top shot-blocker and No. 3 rebounder last season, has been rehabilitating her knee from a preseason injury...Brianne Prescott (Jr., 5-7, San Jose, Ca./Mitty/San Jose CC) is still at least a week away from playing. Prescott, who hit 180 three-pointers as a sophomore at San Jose City College, has been out due to an ankle sprain suffered during practice earlier this month...Stacie Lukkes (So., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentwood) came off the bench for 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first two games...Kirsten Daniel (Sr., 5-8, Florence, Or./Siuslaw) tallied seven points and a pair of assists against the Eagles...Ann Berberian (Fr., 5-7, (Seattle, Wa./Blanchet) pulled down a pair of rebounds in her collegiate debut and later hit a trey against the Boxers...After playing just four of their first 11 games at home, the Falcons will have a stretch in which eight of 10 games are at home beginning in early January.

Series, opponent notes...
Southern Colorado won the only previous meeting with SPU in 1991-92 by a 74-73 score. The Thunderwolves return four starters from last year's 12-14 squad and feature three Washington players on their roster...Seattle Pacific won its final six home games last season and finished 12-2 in the pavilion...The Falcons have never scored 100 or more points in three consecutive games.

Personnel notes...
No Player Yr-Exp Hgt '00 -01 stats Hometown Notes
10 Ann Berberian Fr-HS 5-7 1.5/1.0 ast Seattle, Wa. All-Metro League at Blanchet
12 Becka Beard So-1V 5-4 13.0/3.0 ast Bremerton, Wa. 23 points, 8-8 FGs v Pacific
20 Kerie Hughes* So-1V 5-6 9.0/4.5 ast Mount Vernon, Wa. 17 points at Portland
22 Kirsten Daniel Sr-2V 5-7 1.9/0/9 reb Florence, Or. 7 points v Northwest College
23 Brianne Prescott* Jr-TR 5-7 Injured/DNP San Jose, Ca. All-America, 140 3-ptrs at San Jose CC
24 Stephanie Urrutia So-1V 5-9 12.0/6.0 reb Sunnyside, Wa. 14 points, 5 assists v Northwest Coll.
30 Stacie Lukkes So-1V 6-0 6.0/5.0 reb Kent, Wa. 6 points, 6 rebounds v Pacific
31 Kristin Poe So-1V 5-8 17.5/14.0 reb Enumclaw, Wa. 23 points, 16 reb. v Northwest
32 Jana Holme* Sr-3V 6-1 7.5/6.0 reb Tacoma, Wa. 11 points, 7 rebounds v Pacific
33 Gus Balogh* Sr-3V 5-11 21.5/4.5 ast Szombathely, Hungary 20-plus points in first 2 games
40 Liz Guppy* Sr-3V 6-3 Injured/DNP Beaverton, Or. Avg. 1.9 blocks, shot 49% last season
42 Valerie Gustafson Fr-HS 6-0 9.0/4.5 reb Olympia, Wa. 14 points, 8 rebounds v Northwest
*projected starters
Coach: Gordy Presnell (Northwest Nazarene '83) 14th year (263-111) PacWest coach of the year in '97 & '98