This week...
Thr., Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. -- MEN'S BASKETBALL at WESTERN OREGON, New P.E. Building, Monmouth, Or.
Sat., Jan. 27, 8 p.m. -- MEN'S BASKETBALL at HUMBOLDT STATE, East Gym, Arcata, Ca.

Complete 2000 Schedule

Standings shake-up due...
It's useless to print the conference's West Division standings in ink this week as the three men's basketball co-leaders will collide in two games. Seattle Pacific University, a winner in four straight games and 10 of its last 11, begins its southern swing Thursday (Jan. 25) at Western Oregon (4-3, 6-10). Saturday (Jan. 27) the Falcons (5-2, 12-3) face No. 25 ranked Humboldt State (5-2, 14-2) with first place likely to be on the line. After that, SPU plays seven of its final nine Pacific West Conference games at home, beginning Feb. 1 versus Hawaii Pacific.

Win there, win anywhere...
While Monmouth and Arcata may sound like sleepy towns in Oregon and California, they do not treat basketball visitors kindly. Western Oregon, although struggling this season, is 5-2 at home while Humboldt State, the surprise team of perhaps all of NCAA Division II, is undefeated (7-0) in its own gym. However Seattle Pacific Coach Ken Bone (11th year) has his team believing it can win anywhere. The Falcons, after all, ended Central Washington's 30-game home conference win streak last week in Ellensburg. It was the first victory at Central in 17 years and a bit of payback for the Wildcats snapping an SPU home PacWest unbeaten skein of 35 games in 1999. This season SPU is 5-2 on the road, and it has won nine of its last 11 conference road contests.

New team on the block...
Back in October, when Seattle Pacific was installed as the preseason favorite in the PacWest, not only was Humboldt State overlooked as a possible contender but the Lumberjacks were picked to finish next-to-last in the West Division. They proceeded to win their first eight games and, earlier this month, validated their status by beating Central. It represents a major turnaround for Humboldt, which was a combined 17-36 in its first two seasons as a conference member. Meanwhile, SPU represents the Old Guard. The defending PacWest champion Falcons have won five titles in 10 seasons under Bone.

Whatever it takes...
Winning is not always pretty in the PacWest. Proof came last week in the back-to-back road wins at Central and Saint Martin's. SPU went into Ellensburg as the top rebounding team in the league yet was pummeled on the boards, 41-27. Long caroms from 31 Wildcat 3-point attempts had a little bit to do with it, but rather than make excuses the Falcons focused on defense. They held Central to 41-percent shooting from the field and, in the next game, the Saints to 39 percent and a season-low point total. The team is 6-0 when holding foes to 40 percent or worse. SPU also finished with a combined nine fewer turnovers and sizable advantages in both steals (18-6) and blocked shots (4-0).

The hot hands...
It was forward John Hubbard (Sr., 6-5, Inglewood, Ca./Grays Harbor CC) who topped the team with 38 points in the two victories, yet the hottest hands belonged to guard Nick Johnson (Jr., 6-3, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Edison) and center Eric Sandrin (Jr., 6-10, Bothell, Wa./Shorecrest-Portland). Johnson converted 11 of 15 field goals and scored a combined 29 points while Sandrin was even more efficient, going 12-15 from the floor and totaling 29 points and 12 rebounds. Hubbard came through at Saint Martin's, making all nine of his free throws in a 63-51 win. He had scored the final five points of a pivotal 15-2 run to begin the second half at Central, where SPU prevailed 84-80.

Even on an 'off' night...
He's been referred to as the Falcons' version of Larry Bird, not only multi-talented but a competitor who will find a way to help his team and, in the end, beat you. Forward Brannon Stone (Jr., 6-9, Oak Harbor, Wa.) might have slumped in his shooting (3-16) last week but he still found a way to confound Central. Stone scored eight of his nine points in the second half, passed for a team-high five assists and made 6 of 7 foul shots down the stretch. Stone, who averages 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds, leads the team in assists (3.7), blocks (1.7), steals (1.7) and free-throw accuracy (.849).

Rapid fire off the bench...
Starting guards Johnson and Aaron Bellessa (So., 6-2, Federal Way, Wa./Decatur) are relatively mild-mannered compared to the pair which replaces them from time to time. Reserve point guard Darrell Walker (Sr., 6-0, Marysville, Wa./M'ville-Pilchuck-EWU) more assists and steals per minute than any other player, and, together, he and Adam Harris (So., 6-0, Fox Island, Wa./Gig Harbor) have made 33 3-pointers. In fact Harris ranks second only to Johnson in conference trey accuracy (12-21, 57 percent) while Walker is 10th (21-47, 45 percent). Harris has made 13 of 14 free throws this season, including 11-12 in conference games.

Series, opponent notes...
Western Oregon has won three of its last four games and among its home-court victims this season is Humboldt State. The Wolves are looking for their first win over SPU in two years. Their only win in the 5-game series was at Monmouth in 1999...No doubt, Humboldt State would relieve years and years of frustration by beating the Falcons; the Lumberjacks are 1-14 in the series, which dates back to 1949, and have lost 14 straight over those 41 years. Issac Gildea, the HSU scoring leader at 17.4, has hit 48 treys this season, but will be facing an SPU defense which leads the PacWest in 3-point defense (28 percent in conference games). Saturday's game can be heard live on the Internet at www.humboldt.edu/~hsujacks/html/sid/listen.htm.

Put-backs...
Hubbard's eight rebounds at Central matched his career-high. He ranks third in conference scoring at 19.3, and has averaged 21.0 in conference games...Johnson would still lead the NCAA in 3-point percentage (.622) but has dropped below the minimum standard of 2.0 treys per game with 23 of 37 in 15 games...SPU shot a season-low 40 percent from the field and made just four 3-pointers at Saint Martin's. The Saints' 51 points matched the lowest total by an opponent in the last 101 games...The Falcons continue to lead the nation and conference in 3-point accuracy (.459), despite going 4-19 at Lacey. SPU also leads the PacWest in field-goal percentage (.518)...Sandrin is fifth in field-goal accuracy (.586), seventh in rebounds (6.8) and ninth in blocks (1.1)...Stone is second in blocks (1.7) and fifth in free throw percentage.

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
4 Abe Fox Jr-2V 6-8 2.8/1.9 reb Port Townsend, Wa. Averaging 10.9 minutes; 12 pts v Linfield
10 Adam Harris So-1V 6-0 5.0/1.1 ast Fox Island, Wa. Gig Harbor grad scored 14 points v TESC
11 Aaron Bellessa* So-1V 6-2 1.9/3.2 ast Federal Way, Wa. Starter at point guard; 11-20 FG
20 Darrell Walker Sr-TR 6-0 7.6/3.3 ast Marysville, Wa. 21-47 3-pointers, 45%; 1.3 steals
21 Brannon Stone* Jr-2V 6-7 13.5/5.3 reb Oak Harbor, Wa. 28 3ptrs; 1.7 blks, 1.7 stls; 85% FT
22 Jesse Keely So-TR 6-7 1.3/1.2 reb Fircrest, Wa. Played in 12 games; 6-9 FG
23 Nick Johnson* Jr-2V 6-3 12.3/4.5 reb Burlington, Wa. Career-hi 24 pts v Tarleton St.; 62% 3-ptrs
30 Gene Woodard So-1V 6-4 4.9/2.1 reb Edmonds, Wa. Career-high 20 pts at Linfield; 61% FG
32 John Hubbard* Sr-1V 6-5 19.3/3.7 reb Inglewood, Ca. 32-80 3-ptrs (39%); 81% FT
34 Eric Sandrin* Jr-TR 6-10 15.1/6.8 reb Bothell, Wa. 59% FG, 1.1 blks; 9-18 3-ptrs
40 Daniel Sandrin So-TR 6-7 3.9/3.1 reb Bothell, Wa. Averaging 14.6 minutes; 55% FG
42 Chris Cohen Fr-RS 6-8 0.9/1.1 reb Saint Helens, Or. Played in 10 games; 4-7 FG
*projected starter
Coach: Ken Bone (SPU '83) 11th year (220-89/.712)