NAMPA, ID. (Dec. 8) - A combined 25 points, nine assists, four blocks and four steals from the Seattle Pacific Univeristy women's basketball backcourt of Kerie Hughes (Jr., 5-6, Mt. Vernon, Wa./Mt. Vernon) and Stephanie Urrutia (Jr., Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) was not enough against Northwest Nazarene University who beat the No. 6 ranked Falcons 66-62 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup in Nampa on Saturday.

It was a fight until the end between nationally-ranked SPU (1-1, 6-1) and the conference foe Crusaders (1-1, 5-2). Aside from an early 3-0 lead for the Falcons, NNU maintained a steady single-digit lead through the first part of the opening half of play.

SPU crawled back into the game late in the half and captured the lead at the 8:05 mark on a lay-in by Hughes. Clutch-shooting later on helped NNU retake a narrow one point lead going into the half.

Eight second-half points by Hughes and Emily Faurholt (Fr., 5-11, Kennewick, Wa./Kennewick) helped the Falcons build a 12-point lead with just 9:16 remaining in the contest. However, the Crusaders took advantage of poor team free-throw shooting and foul trouble for Falcon center Kelley Berglund (Jr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./Washington State) to cut the SPU lead to one at 2:16 and take control of the game at 63-62 with one minute left. The Falcons missed a pair of three-point baskets and a layup with under 30 seconds remaining to hand NNU the upset and their first-ever victory over SPU.

Uncharacteristically poor three-point and free-throw shooting hurt the Falcons. SPU finished 3 for 14 from behind the arc and 17 for 27 at the line. Berglund finished with a season-low four points and two rebounds as she was allowed just 12 total minutes due to foul trouble.

Hughes and Urrutia finished with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Faurholt and Valerie Gustafson (So., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) also reached double-figures with 10 points apiece. Gustafson led the SPU effort on the glass with nine rebounds. Hughes finished with a team-high eight assists while Urrutia registered a career-high four blocked shots.

The Crusaders were paced by Alysson Kollman who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

SPU - Faurholt 10, Hughes 14, Urrutia 11, Poe 3, Berglund 4, Hermanson 0, Isaacson 2, Beaumont 8, Lukkes 0, Cadotte 0, Gustafson 10.

NNU - Kollman 19, White 3, Oysted 11, Lund 4, Hellberg 11, Barnett 2, Allen-McGarrah 3, Lind 0, VanBrocklin 2, Graham 7, Rodriguez 4.

Halftime - SPU 30, NNU 31