Home sweet home. Another promising season of women's basketball at Seattle Pacific University begins in earnest Saturday afternoon (Nov. 17) when the 20th-ranked Falcons host Western Baptist (1-1). SPU will play four of its first five games at home, including next Tuesday's (Nov. 20) nonconference game with Cascade College. Seattle Pacific, which was 24-5 last season and came within two points of advancing to the Elite Eight, has won 22 of its last 23 games at Brougham Pavilion and is 14-0 in home openers under Coach Gordy Presnell. The first road game is Nov. 21 at Evergreen.

Vote of confidence. Already the favorite in the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference race, Seattle Pacific got another vote of confidence with the release of the USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II national poll conducted by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) last week. Despite losing their entire stating frontline to graduation, the Falcons were ranked No. 20. Cal Poly Pomona, the defending national champion, is No. 1 and the Broncos will host SPU Dec. 28 in Pomona. Western Washington, touted to be the top GNAC rival, also received votes in the poll.

No harm done. Presnell opted to test his young team early, with a pair of preseason games at Division I schools. And while the Falcons held their own, they also learned that they have room for improvement before Great Northwest Athletic Conference play begins next month. Portland and Gonzaga both shot over 53 percent in the second half as the Falcons tired in the late stages. The Pilots atoned for a loss to SPU the previous year, winning 84-75. At Spokane, Gonzaga trailed for most of the first 30 minutes before running away with a 78-59 win. The bigger West Coast Conference teams out-rebounded SPU by seven and 15, respectively.

Early bloomers. The Falcons' freshman class was impressive in the two preseason outings. In her first collegiate contest at Portland, Emily Faurholt (Fr., 5-11, Kennewick, Wa./Kennewick) started and finished with 18 points (8-12 FGs), a team-high 28 minutes and no turnovers. At Gonzaga, Faurholt, the state 4A player of the year last spring, again led the team in minutes (25) and contributed 11 points. Another wing, Michelle Beaumont (Fr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) came off the bench at Portland and poured in 15 points (7-13 FGs) and was the team's co-leader in rebounds at Gonzaga with five. Reserve point guard Trisha Hermanson (Fr., 5-6, Buckley, Wa./White River) led everyone with four assists versus the Bulldogs. Another key newcomer, Kelley Berglund (Jr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./Pt. Angeles-Washington State), started at center. Berglund began strong, with 14 points and nine boards at Portland, and she had nine points at Gonzaga.

Positive signs. Much of the Falcons' success this season lies in the successful return of two players coming off ACL surgery. Kerie Hughes (Jr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mt. Vernon) missed eight games and Kristin Poe (So., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw) the final 23 after going down with torn ligaments in her knee. Both started and played extensively in the exhibitions. Hughes totaled 15 points, six assists and 45 minutes while Poe responded with team-highs of eight assists and five steals. She also had 10 rebounds in 48 minutes.

Put-backs. Stephanie Urrutia (Jr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside), the team's sole returning all-conference selection, led the Falcons with 12 points at Gonzaga, hitting 4-6 shots, including both of her 3-pointers...Stacie Lukkes (Jr., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentwood) was plagued by fouls at Portland but collected five rebounds in 15 minutes at Spokane...Valerie Gustafson (So., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) came off the bench but saw 46 minutes of action. She had seven caroms and two blocked shots at Portland.

Opponent & series notes. The Falcons have not lost a home opener since 1986 and they are 13-1 in the first regular season games under Presnell. The only loss was in 1998 versus Colorado School of Mines at Billings...SPU is unbeaten in four previous games against Western Baptist, including a 78-46 win at home last season. The Warriors host Multnomah Bible Nov. 13...This is the first meeting with Cascade College of Portland.

Tickets please. General admission for all SPU home games are $5 with students, youth and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Reserved tickets for doubleheaders are priced at $7 and $6. Teams or groups can quality for discount rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.

SPU Coaches. Coach Gordy Presnell began the 2001-02 campaign needing just 15 wins to reach the coveted 300-victory milestone. Presnell has never registered a losing season in 14 years at the helm of the Seattle Pacific University basketball program. He took a team that had not recorded a winning record in nine seasons or earned a trip to the postseason and transformed it into a Division II powerhouse. During his tenure, the Falcons have averaged more than 20 wins per season and qualified for the playoffs nine times, including an Elite Eight appearance in 1998. Lynne DeYoung is in her fifth season as an assistant coach under Presnell after recording a handful of three-point shooting records for the Falcons. Brett Hecko enters his first as an assistant coach this season.