Upcoming games...
Sat., Dec. 16, 7 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL v WESTERN WASHINGTON, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.
Mon., Dec. 18, 5:30 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL v WESTERN BAPTIST, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.
Wed., Dec. 20, 7 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL v NORTHWEST COLLEGE, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.

Complete 2000 Schedule

The sequel...
Fifteenth-ranked Seattle Pacific University will go to court Saturday night (Dec. 16), seeking to avenge its first defeat of the women¹s basketball season. The Falcons (2-1, 5-1) face No. 23 Western Washington (2-1, 5-2) for the second time in eight days with the winner likely to be the favorite for the Pacific West Conference crown. Next week SPU plays two non-conference games at home before a 15-day break in the schedule for the holidays. Western Baptist (4-5) visits Brougham Pavilion Monday (Dec. 18) and Northwest College Dec. 20. Play resumes Jan. 4 at Western New Mexico.

Them again...
The rivalry with Western has been both one-sided and, at the same time, a pick-em the past three years. Last week in Bellingham, the Vikings won the seventh straight meeting, 78-75. But six of the seven games have been decided by five points or less. The Falcons' last victory in the series was Jan. 17, 1998 at Western. In their last three visits to the Pavilion, the Vikings have twice snapped 19-game SPU home win streaks. Seattle Pacific enters this week with a 7-game unbeaten streak at home.

Say it ain't Poe...
While Western Washington figures to be strengthened by the return of two starters from injuries, the Falcons are almost certain to be without the services of their top rebounder and No. 2 scorer, forward Kristin Poe (So., 5-9, Enumclaw, Wa.). Early in the second half of last week's game, Poe crumpled to the floor with an injury to her right knee. An MRI is scheduled for this week but she is expected to be out indefinitely. Poe had averaged 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, with double-doubles in two games.

When you've got health...
It seems to Coach Gordy Presnell (14th year) that the Falcons have been battling injuries almost constantly for the past 13 months. He lost starting center Jana Holme (Sr., 6-1, Tacoma, Wa./Wilson) to a broken leg prior to last season, and Holme has seen limited action so far this year because of a sore instep. Liz Guppy (Sr., 6-3, Beaverton, Or./Westview), another frontline starter, missed the first two games with a knee injury and has yet to regain her starting spot.

They were looking good...
Although SPU played the final 14 minutes without Poe, it did move ahead by nine points on a Holme three-pointer with six minutes left. But the Vikings, who finished with a 51-26 rebounding advantage, battled back and took the lead with 1:14 remaining. Gus Balogh (Sr., 5-11, Szombathely, Hungary), who led the way with 22 points, had a good look at a potential go-ahead trey with 14 seconds left but missed. Balogh had scored 10 of the team's first 12 points, and finished 10-19 from the floor with seven boards and four blocked shots. She leads the team in scoring with a 21.2 scoring average.

Prescott fires away...
Another player who has missed significant time so far, guard Brianne Prescott (Jr., 5-7, San Jose, Ca./Mitty-San Jose CC), found her long-distance shooting stroke at Western. Prescott, who missed three games with an ankle sprain, connected on 6-10 three-pointers and scored 18 points in just 21 minutes. It was the first time an SPU player had made six three-pointers in a single game since Lynne Roberts did so in 1996-97. That was exactly the type of perimeter production Presnell had expected of his prized transfer. Prescott hit 140 treys in her sophomore season at San Jose City College.

Behind the scenes...
Point guard Kerie Hughes (So., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mr. Vernon) turned in yet another strong performance at Western. Hughes had a career-high 10 assists and five steals. She is averaging 4.2 steals to lead the PacWest and is second in assists (6.8). Guppy had her best showing of the season, chipping-in with 12 points, including a three-point play in the final minute. She was 6-6 at the line and blocked a pair of shots.

Put-backs...
Balogh leads the conference in scoring and is sixth in both free-throw percentage (.842) and blocked shots (1.7). She is eighth in field-goal accuracy (.524). Poe had been third in steals (3.5) and second in rebounding...As a team, SPU leads the conference in scoring (84.7), foul shooting (.753), turnover margin (+10.8) and is second in field-goal percentage (.456) and steals (15.3)...Valerie Gustafson (Fr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) started her fourth straight game at center but played only 15 minutes due to foul trouble...Presnell announced that Ann Berberian (Fr., 5-7, Seattle, Wa./Blanchet) left the team last week. Berberian, a walk-on, had played a total of 16 minutes in four games.

Opponent, series notes...
Western leads the series 45-10...The Falcons are 3-0 vs. Western Baptist. The Warriors have lost their last two games...SPU is a perfect 18-0 vs. Northwest College, including a 100-77 win in the season-opening game at Ellensburg Nov. 17.

Ticket information...
General admission tickets for all home games are priced $5 for adults, $3 for students, youth and senior citizens. Reserved seats, priced $7 and $6, are available for doubleheaders such as Monday's game. Monday and Wednesday are both 2-for-1 nights. Group rates are available by call (206) 281-2085 in advance. Ticket windows open one hour prior to tip-off.

PacWest Conference Standings

Personnel notes...
No Player Yr-Exp Hgt '00 -01 stats Hometown Notes
10 Ann Berberian Fr-HS 5-7 0.8/1.3 ast Seattle, Wa. Left team after playing in 4 games
12 Becka Beard So-1V 5-4 4.7/ 2.0 ast Bremerton, Wa. 23 points, 8-8 FGs v Pacific
20 Kerie Hughes* So-1V 5-6 8.0/6.2 ast Mount Vernon, Wa. Leads PWC in steals (4.2), 2nd in ast
22 Kirsten Daniel Sr-2V 5-7 3.5/2.0 reb Florence, Or. 7 points v Northwest College
23 Brianne Prescott* Jr-TR 5-7 9.3/3.0 ast San Jose, Ca. Hit 6-10 3-pointers at WWU
24 Stephanie Urrutia* So-1V 5-9 10.5/3.5 reb Sunnyside, Wa. 16 points at Northwest Nazarene
30 Stacie Lukkes So-1V 6-0 4.5/3.5 reb Kent, Wa. 6 points, 6 rebounds v Pacific
31 Kristin Poe So-1V 5-8 12.5/8.3 reb Enumclaw, Wa. Injured right knee at WWU (12/9)
32 Jana Holme Sr-3V 6-1 4.3/3.3 reb Tacoma, Wa. 11 points, 7 rebounds v Pacific
33 Gus Balogh* Sr-3V 5-11 21.2/4.6 ast Szombathely, Hungary Leads PWC in scoring; 27 pts at NNU
40 Liz Guppy* Sr-3V 6-3 6.4/3.8 reb Beaverton, Or. 12 points at WWU; 1.3 blocks
42 Valerie Gustafson* Fr-HS 6-0 8.5/4.3 reb Olympia, Wa. 14 points, 9 rebounds v S. Colorado
*projected starters
Coach: Gordy Presnell (Northwest Nazarene '83) 14th year (266-112) PacWest coach of the year in '97 & '98