This week...
Thr., Feb. 15, 8 p.m. PST -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL at ALASKA FAIRBANKS, Patty Center, Fairbanks, Ak.
Sat., Feb. 17, 7 p.m. PST -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL at ALASKA ANCHORAGE, UAA Sports Center, Anchorage, Ak.

Complete 2000 Schedule

Streak to be tested...
Following a pair of crucial wins at home, the 20th-ranked Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team (13-3, 18-3) spends the next four games in some unfriendly environs as the race for the Pacific West Conference crown and a postseason berth intensifies. This week the Falcons take their seven-game win streak north to Alaska where they will meet fellow playoff contender Alaska Fairbanks (11-5, 15-6) Thursday night (Feb. 15) and a rejuvenated Alaska Anchorage (7-9, 9-12) Saturday (Feb. 17). Next week SPU plays closer to home, visiting Saint Martin's Feb. 22.

It's a biggie...
Although both games are important, Thursday's game is a bone fide biggie. Alaska Fairbanks is deadlocked with Central Washington for third place in the PacWest, just two games behind Seattle Pacific. The winner of the conference receives an automatic berth to the NCAA West Regional, to be held March 8-10. SPU should remain No. 2 in this week's regional rankings, behind Cal Poly Pomona. Western Washington, which trails SPU by one game in the PacWest, is No. 3. The top six teams in the West will receive NCAA tournament berths Mar. 4. The Falcons are seeking their sixth playoff trip in the last seven years.

Presnell knows the way...
Despite losing starters Kristin Poe (So., 5-9, Enumclaw, Wa.) and Kerie Hughes (So., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa.) for the season to knee injuries, Coach Gordy Presnell (14th year) has managed to guide the Falcons to sole possession of first place in the PacWest. The Falcon roster now consists of nine players, not even enough to permit a 5-on-5 scrimmage in practice without involving coaches. But it has not deterred the players or staff. They finished a 77-59 win over Western New Mexico last week with only seven healthy players, and then came back two days later to deal Montana State Billings a 71-53 defeat.

Gus drives the bus...
Gus Balogh (Sr., 5-11, Szombathely, Hungary) was in the driver's seat in each of the wins. Despite being double- and, at times, triple-teamed, Balogh tallied 41 points on 17 of 27 shooting. She also grabbed 11 rebounds and had nine assists. Scoring-wise, Balogh will likely surpass Linnea Jarvits (1993-97, 1544pts.) for No. 5 on the career scoring chart this week. She needs 21 points to do so, and the No. 3 position, held by Diane Black (1983-'86, 1705 pts.), is wihtin striking distance this season. Currently, Balogh is currently second in PacWest in scoring (18.0). Her smooth shooting form has her 10th in 3-point accuracy (.391) and 12th in both field-goal (.505) and free-throw (.770) percentage.

Oh no, not again...
After watching Poe and Hughes go down with injuries over the course of the season, Presnell got still another scare when starting guard Stephanie Urrutia (So., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa.) was forced to leave the Western New Mexico game midway through the second half with an ankle sprain. Fortunately, Urrutia recovered sufficiently to play against Billings. In fact, she scored 13 points, had eight rebounds and six assists against the Yellowjackets.

Guppy and Holme pick up...
Shot-blocking center Liz Guppy (Sr., 6-3, Beaverton, Or./Westview) rejected four more opponents' shots over the weekend, pulling her within 20 of becoming the school's all-time career leader. Caroline Pfeil (1986-90) is the record-holder with 213. Perhaps more impressive than Guppy's swats was her stat line of 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Billings contest. Her partner in the pivot, Jana Holme (Sr., 6-1, Tacoma, Wa./Wilson), yanked down 13 rebounds over the course of the week, seven against the Yellowjackets.

Prescott hits the 3-ball...
Long-bomber Brianne Prescott (Jr., 5-7, San Jose, Ca./Mitty-San Jose CC) started her first game as a Falcon against Western New Mexico and responded by canning 4 of 9 3-point attempts for 12 points, not to mention a team-high seven assists. Prescott drilled another four treys versus Billings and finished the week at 8 of 16 behind the arc. Her 43 3-pointers is already the most by an SPU player in the last four seasons and it's the fifth-highest total ever. Lynne Roberts DeYoung (1994-97), now an assistant coach, set the record of 82 in 1996.

Put-backs...
The Falcons' current win streak is the longest since an 8-game skein to finish last year's regular season...Becka Beard (So., 5-4, Bremerton, Wa./King's West) had six assists against Western New Mexico and four more vs. Billings...Valerie Gustafson (Fr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) joined Balogh, Guppy and Prescott in double figures vs. WNM, canning 5 of 13 shots for 11 points...Gustafson ranks No. 7 on the PacWest charts in field goal percentage (.520)...Stacie Lukkes (So., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentwood) rebounded 13 balls in just 35 minutes of play for the week. Lukkes had a near-double double with eight points and a season-high nine rebounds against the Mustangs...Urrutia is sixth in PacWest steals (2.48) and Guppy remained at No. 4 in blocks (1.79)...SPU is second in conference scoring margin (+15.7), field-goal shooting (.452), free-throw shooting (.716). It is No. 1 in field-goal percentage defense (.363) and No. 3 in 3-point percentage (.343).

Opponent, series notes...
Alaska Fairbanks is undefeated (11-0) at home and has won six of its last eight games. The Nanooks, who fell to SPU 75-73 Jan. 13 in Seattle, trail 25-10 in the series. Hughes hit the decisive basket with 14.7 seconds to play...Alaska Anchorage, after a horrible start, has won six of its last seven games. Seattle Pacific, which disposed of the Seawolves 63-49 Jan. 11, leads the series 19-11.

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 3.1/ 2.3 ast Bremerton, Wa. Started against Northwest Nazarene
20 Kerie Hughes* So-1V 5-6 8.8/6.0 ast Mount Vernon, Wa. Out with torn ACL
22 Kirsten Daniel Sr-2V 5-7 1.6/1.1 reb Florence, Or. Three assists vs. Northwest Nazarene
23 Brianne Prescott* Jr-TR 5-7 8.5/2.2 reb San Jose, Ca. Fourth in PacWest in 3¹s made per game
24 Stephanie Urrutia* So-1V 5-9 12.5/5.0 reb Sunnyside, Wa. Averaged 18.7 points in last four contests
30 Stacie Lukkes So-1V 6-0 4.0/4.4 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 5.5/5.1 reb Tacoma, Wa. 14 rebounds against Northwest Nazarene
33 Gus Balogh* Sr-3V 5-11 18.0/5.0 reb Szombathely, Hungary Needs just 62 pts. to be No. 5 all-time scorer
40 Liz Guppy* Sr-3V 6-3 8.2/5.3 reb Beaverton, Or. 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks vs. NNU
42 Valerie Gustafson* Fr-HS 6-0 8.6/4.1 reb Olympia, Wa. Career-high 19 points v Humboldt
*projected starters
Coach: Gordy Presnell (Northwest Nazarene '83) 14th year (279-114) PacWest coach of the year in '97 & '98