SEATTLE (Dec. 16)--Kerie Hughes scored a career-high 26 points and Gus Balogh dropped in 18 as 19th-ranked Seattle Pacific University downed 21st-ranked Western Washington University 83-73, in a Pacific West Conference women's basketball game Saturday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The victory was the first over Western in the last eight contests for Seattle Pacific.

Hughes hit a pair of free-throws at 18:39 to start the second half, and nailed a three-pointer less than a minute later to give the Falcons a 47-44 lead.

Western led 63-61 with just over seven minutes to play but Hughes tied the game at 63 with a driving lay-up at the 6:50 mark. The Falcons went up 65-63 on another Hughes bucket 22 seconds later. SPU did not trail the rest of the game.

Hughes (So., Mount Vernon, Wa.) shot a blistering 7 for 11 from the field and was two for two from behind the arc. The 5-7 point guard tallied a game high five assists.

Balogh (Sr., Szombathely, Hungary) was 6 of 12 from the field on the night, and assisted on three plays.

Stephanie Urrutia (So., Sunnyside, Wa.) added 14 points and four steals and Liz Guppy (Sr., Beaverton, Or.)had nine points and seven rebounds.

The Vikings were led by Jodie Kaczor's 19 points. Kaczor was three of four from behind the arc. Jenn McGillivray had 15.

Seattle Pacific (3-1, 6-1) takes on Western Baptist in the first half of a double-header with the SPU men on Monday night (Dec. 18). Tip-off for the women's game is at 5:30 and the men will take on Willamette at 7:30.

SPU:
Holme 5, Balogh 18, Guppy 9, Hughes 26, Daniel, Beard, Prescott 3, Urrutia 14, Lukkes 1, Gustafson 7.

WWU:
Lovely 2, Miller 13, Taylor 5, Walker 9, Kaczor 19, DeBoer 6, Quarterman 4, Swanson, McGillivray 15, Toth.

Halftime: WWU 43, SPU 40.