This week...
Thr., Feb. 22, 5 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL at SAINT MARTIN'S, Saint Martin's Pavilion, Lacey, Wa.
Sat., Feb. 24, 5 p.m. -- WOMEN'S BASKETBALL at CENTRAL WASHINGTON, Nicholson Pavilion, Ellensburg, Wa.

Complete 2000 Schedule

Nine and counting...
Another 20-win season already secured, the 17th-ranked Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team takes aim on still bigger bounty in this, the next-to-last week of the regular season. The Falcons (15-3, 20-3) ride a nine-game win streak into Thursday night (Feb. 22) and a Pacific West Conference encounter at Saint Martin's (8-10, 11-12). Saturday night (Feb. 24) SPU tangles with another postseason contender and the last team to defeat it, Central Washington (12-6, 16-7). The regular season concludes at home Mar. 1 versus Humboldt State and Mar. 3 versus Western Oregon.

2 from clinching...
With an impressive sweep of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage‹the first such road kill in three years--the Falcons find themselves two wins away from clinching the PacWest title and the automatic NCAA Division II playoff berth that goes with it. They currently own a two-game advantage on second-place Northwest Nazarene but own the tiebreaker, having swept the Crusaders this season. Central Washington and Western Washington are three games behind. Seattle Pacific, the preseason favorite, is searching for its first conference crown since 1998 and third altogether.

The playoff picture...
The top six teams in the West Region will receive playoff berths Mar. 4, and right now SPU is virtually assured of making its sixth postseason trip in seven years. However, if it can hold on to its grip as the No. 2 team in the region, Seattle Pacific can earn a first-round bye. And should Cal Poly Pomona, the No. 1 team in the West, falter, it's possible that the West Regional could come back to Brougham Pavilion Mar. 8-10. Last week's regional ratings featured Western Washington at No. 3, followed by Cal State Bakersfield, Central Washington and Alaska Fairbanks.

How do they do it?...
While the Falcons may well have been the preseason favorite in the PacWest, it's unlikely they would have been the pick of the litter had the conference coaches know that two starters would suffer season-ending injuries. That's what has made the recent win streak and, in particular, last week's outcomes in Alaska so improbable. Coach Gordy Presnell (14th year) has only nine remaining players since losing forward Kristin Poe (So., 5-9, Enumclaw, Wa.) and point guard Kerie Hughes (So., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa.) to knee injuries in December and earlier this month, respectively.

Smokin' Gus...
It takes a positive attitude on the part of the remaining players to persevere through the adversity of the injuries, but it's also necessary for those players to shoulder a heavier load on the court. All-America candidate Gus Balogh (Sr., 5-11, Szombathely, Hungary) has done just that. Balogh, who celebrated her 30th birthday last week, was named PacWest player of the week after lighting up Alaska for 32 points and 15 rebounds while playing all but seven minutes of the two contests. Her silky-smooth shot found the target 16 of 33 times. Career scoring-wise, Balogh passed Linnea Jarvits (1993-97, 1544 pts.) for No. 5 on the SPU all-time scoring list. With a current total of 1555 points, she now needs 52 more to surpass Lori Robinett (1986-89, 1606) for No. 4. Balogh is second in conference scoring (17.8), behind Central Washington's Rose Shaw.

It's academic...
The PacWest calligrapher should get familiar with the name "Balogh" the next couple weeks. She not only was player of the week but was named to the academic all-conference team and is likely to become a four-time all-conference team selection later on. Balogh is an economics major with a 3.91 grade point average, including five quarters with a 4.00. A three-time academic selection, she was joined on the team by Jana Holme (Sr., 6-1, Tacoma, Wa./Wilson), Stacie Lukkes (So., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentwood) and Becka Beard (So., 5-3, Bremerton, Wa./King's West). Holme, a selection in 1998, is a family and consumer science, major with a 3.52 GPA. Lukkes, a business major, and Beard, a philosophy major, are first-time selections, with GPAs of 3.92 and 3.35, respectively.

She blends...
Another ace up Seattle Pacific's sleeve during the stretch run has been Stephanie Urrutia (So., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa.). Since Hughes was sidelined six games ago, Urrutia has played the part of unwilling chameleon, changing role and playing style from run-and-gun to focus on coordinating the offense. Normally a shooting guard, she has blended into the point position with relative ease, and since Hughes' injury, has averaged 13.2 points, 5.9 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. It all adds up to a strong statement for inclusion to the all-conference team. Urrutia, who last week posted her third double-double of the season at Anchorage (15 points, 10 rebounds), ranks No. 3 in the conference in assist to turnover ratio.

Prescott connects...
After Hughes' injury, trifecta artist Brianne Prescott (Jr., 5-7, San Jose, Ca./Mitty-San Jose CC) slid into the starting lineup and has performed admirably. With Prescott and Balogh flanking the wings, and Urrutia at the top of the key, the Falcons are stretching defenses. Prescott is currently connecting on a team-high 2.35 3-pointers per contest. Since becoming a starter, she has hit on 38 percent of her treys and has averaged 9.0 points and 2.6 rebounds. The JC transfer is also tenth in the PacWest in assist to turnover ratio.

Put-backs...
Liz Guppy (Sr., 6-3, Beaverton, Or./Westview) blocked two more shots on the weekend to bring her within 18 of becoming the school's all-time career leader. She also needs four rebounds to become No. 10. Guppy, who had 10 points at Fairbanks, is No. 4 in the conference in blocks (1.81)...Holme has been involved in more wins at SPU (92) than any other player in the program's history...Valerie Gustafson (Fr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) tallied eight points and six rebounds in Alaska...Lukkes corralled 14 rebounds in 38 minutes last week...Urrutia is sixth in PacWest steals (2.48), 11th in assists (3.87) and 13th in scoring (12.0)...SPU is first in conference scoring margin (+15.5), assists (18.96) and field-goal percentage defense (.353), second in field-goal shooting (.448) and free-throw shooting (.711). It is No. 3 in 3-point percentage (.343)...Individually, Balogh ranks No. 11 in field-goal percentage (.503) and No. 9 in free-throw percentage (.770)...Hughes will likely finish the season at No. 2 in assists average (6.0), No. 8 in free-throw percentage (.789) and No. 1 in steals (3.11)...SPU moved up two spots in this week's national poll, from No. 19.

Opponent, series notes...
SPU leads the Saint Martin's series 25-10, including a home win, 85-76 Jan. 20. It was the Falcons' fourth straight win over the Saints, and in that contest, Balogh scored 20 points and had five rebounds...Central Washington snapped the Falcons' 12-game home win streak Jan. 18, 67-55. Rose Shaw's 19 points and 13 rebounds led the Wildcats. Balogh suffered through one of the worst shooting nights of her career, going just 2 for 12. Central leads the series, 25-21.

S-P-U on the W-E-B...
You can follow Seattle Pacific via the world wide web. The Falcons Online features weekly releases, rosters, schedules, updated results, histories and coaching profiles for all 12 varsity sports. You're already here!

PacWest Conference Standings

Personnel notes...
No Player Yr-Exp Hgt '00 -01 stats Hometown Notes
12 Becka Beard So-1V 5-4 3.1/ 2.1 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 1.4/1.2 reb Florence, Or. Three assists vs. Northwest Nazarene
23 Brianne Prescott* Jr-TR 5-7 8.7/2.3 reb San Jose, Ca. Fourth in PacWest in 3's made per game
24 Stephanie Urrutia* So-1V 5-9 12.5/5.3 reb Sunnyside, Wa. Double-double 15 pts. 10 rebs. at Anchorage
30 Stacie Lukkes So-1V 6-0 3.9/4.7 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 5.4/5.1 reb Tacoma, Wa. 14 rebounds against Northwest Nazarene
33 Gus Balogh* Sr-3V 5-11 17.8/5.2 reb Szombathely, Hungary No. 5 all-time scorer
40 Liz Guppy* Sr-3V 6-3 8.0/5.4 reb Beaverton, Or. 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks vs. NNU
42 Valerie Gustafson* Fr-HS 6-0 8.3/3.9 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