This week...
Thr., Jan. 11, 5:30 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL v ALASKA ANCHORAGE, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.
Sat., Jan. 13, 5 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL v ALASKA FAIRBANKS, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.

Complete 2000 Schedule

4-game home stand...
Home at last. Following the most grueling road trip of the season, the 16th-ranked Seattle Pacific University women¹s basketball team returns to the confines of Brougham Pavilion for a four-game Pacific West Conference home stand, beginning Thursday night (Jan. 11) against Alaska Anchorage (1-5, 3-8). Saturday (Jan. 13), the Falcons duel with PacWest leader Alaska Fairbanks (5-1, 9-2). Both are part of doubleheaders with the men's team. Next week Central Washington and Saint Martin's pay visits.

Biggest of the two...
While Thursday's contest features two teams which were involved in the 2000 NCAA West Regional, Saturday's outcome will have the most profound impact on the conference standings. Alaska Fairbanks sits atop the PacWest, along with Northwest Nazarene, and currently stands No. 5 in the regional poll. The Falcons were No. 1 in the West going into last week's games. The top six teams in the region receive invitations to the NCAA tournament. Coach Gordy Presnell (14th year) has established Seattle Pacific as one of the premier basketball schools on the West Coast, and the Falcons, who have averaged more than 21 wins per season during his tenure, are seeking their sixth trip to the playoffs in the last seven years.

Them again...
Last week, the Falcons began their 3500-mile road trip with an 82-52 rout of Western New Mexico. It was the sixth time this season that the margin of victory was greater than 20 points. Two days later, in a very physical game, SPU saw its four-game win streak snapped, suffering a 61-52 defeat at the hands of Montana State Billings--the same team which eliminated the Falcons from the NCAA playoffs last year. It was the 10th straight loss on the Yellowjackets' home floor and the difference was definitely at the foul line. SPU shot just three free throws (made one), compared to 24 (made 19) for Billings. Forward Gus Balogh (Sr., 5-11, Szombathely, Hungary) led Seattle Pacific with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Tower of power...
At 6-3, center Liz Guppy (Sr., 6-3, Beaverton, Or./Westview) is a presence to be reckoned with under the basket. Usually recognized for her shot-blocking capability, Guppy showed the people of Silver City, N.M., that she can be downright offensive. Guppy canned 8-10 field goals and scored 18 points to go along with eight rebounds at Western New Mexico. Guppy, with 171, is six blocked shots away from becoming No. 2 on the school's career list. The record is 213, set by Caroline Pfeil (1986-90). Fellow frontline starter Jana Holme (Sr., 6-1, Tacoma, Wa./Wilson) netted eight points and eight rebounds versus the Mustangs, and added another seven boards at Billings.

Heady youngsters...
Although all three are underclassmen, Stephanie Urrutia (So., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa.), Kerie Hughes (So., 5-7, Mount Vernon, Wa.) and Valerie Gustafson (Fr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) are playing some heady basketball. Urrutia and Gustafson are second and third, respectively, on the team in scoring. Urrutia averages 11.2 points a game and had 20 on the trip. Gustafson, who averages 9.0 points, had seven rebounds at Western New Mexico. Hughes, a two-year starter at point guard, is the most seasoned of the three, and leads the PacWest in assists (6.6) and is second in steals (3.1).

Prescott connects...
Transfer guard Brianne Prescott (Jr., 5-7, San Jose, Ca./Mitty-San Jose CC) is beginning to heat things up from behind the arc. Prescott, who hit a record 140 three-pointers at San Jose City College last year, and is connecting on 37 percent as a Falcon. Over the weekend, Prescott hit seven treys and she is averaging 9.0 points per game and is second in the PacWest in made treys per game (2.5).

Ticket Information...
General admission tickets for all SPU women's home games are priced $5, with students and senior citizens $3. For doubleheaders, such as Thursday's and Saturday's games, reserved tickets ($7, $6) are also available. Ticket windows open one hour before game time. Thursday is also "Everybody Wins Night." If the Falcons don't win, fans can redeem their stubs for free tickets to Saturday's game (subject to availability).

Put-backs...
Balogh is still 110 points from moving into No. 6 on the SPU career list. She is the career leader in free throw percentage (.797) and is No. 5 in field goal accuracy (.497)...Reserve center Stacie Lukkes (So., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentwood) pulled down seven rebounds vs. Western New Mexico and four at Billings. Over the last three games, Lukkes has 18 rebounds...Becka Beard (So., 5-4, Bremerton, Wa./King's West) scored nine points at Western New Mexico and had four assists...Balogh is third in conference scoring (18.7), seventh in conference field-goal percentage (.536) and free-throw percentage (.815), and ninth in blocked shots (.91)...Guppy is third in free-throw percentage (.850) and 10th in blocked shots (.90) and field goal percentage (.519)...Urrutia is eighth in steals (2.3)...As a team, SPU leads the conference in seven statistical categories: scoring (82.1), foul shooting (.751), scoring margin (+19.5), field goal percentage (.461), field goal percentage defense (.347), assists (20.3), and turnover margin.

Opponent, series notes...
SPU leads Alaska Anchorage in the series, 18-11, but the Seawolves won both meetings last year, including a 72-85 decision at homecoming. UAA is coming off a win over Saint Martin's which snapped an eight-game losing skid...Alaska Fairbanks returns all five starters from last season's 13-13 squad and trails in the series with the Falcons 24-10. The Nanooks have won five of their last six coming into the week...SPU has won its last 10 home games, dating back to the home loss to Anchorage.

S-P-U on the W-E-B...
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PacWest Conference Standings

Personnel notes...
No Player Yr-Exp Hgt '00 -01 stats Hometown Notes
12 Becka Beard So-1V 5-4 3.6/ 2.0 ast Bremerton, Wa. 23 points, 8-8 FGs v Pacific
20 Kerie Hughes* So-1V 5-6 8.8/6.5 ast Mount Vernon, Wa. 26 points in Western win
22 Kirsten Daniel Sr-2V 5-7 2.1/1.7 reb Florence, Or. 8 points v Northwest College
23 Brianne Prescott* Jr-TR 5-7 9.0/2.1 reb San Jose, Ca. Hit 6-10 3-pointers at WWU
24 Stephanie Urrutia* So-1V 5-9 11.2/3.6 reb Sunnyside, Wa. Second on team in scoring
30 Stacie Lukkes So-1V 6-0 4.5/4.0 reb Kent, Wa. 10 points, 9 rebounds v Northwest C.
31 Kristin Poe So-1V 5-8 12.5/8.3 reb Enumclaw, Wa. Out for season with injured knee
32 Jana Holme Sr-3V 6-1 4.6/4.7 reb Tacoma, Wa. 11 points, 7 rebounds v Pacific
33 Gus Balogh* Sr-3V 5-11 18.7/4.7 reb Szombathely, Hungary Third in PWC in scoring
40 Liz Guppy* Sr-3V 6-3 8.0/5.8 reb Beaverton, Or. 18 points, 8 rebounds at W. New Mexico
42 Valerie Gustafson* Fr-HS 6-0 9.0/4.5 reb Olympia, Wa. 17 points vs. Western Baptist
*projected starters
Coach: Gordy Presnell (Northwest Nazarene '83) 14th year (270-113) PacWest coach of the year in '97 & '98