SEATTLE (Jan. 5) -- Behind the 18 points and 11 rebounds of forward Yusef Aziz, 12th-ranked Seattle Pacific University stretched its winning streak to 12 games with a gritty 72-67 victory over Seattle University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game Saturday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons, who led for the final 24 minutes, equaled the best start in school history, going to 12-1 overall and 4-0 in conference. They have beaten Seattle U. in 11 consecutive meetings dating back 1995, including two wins this season. SPU hosts Western Washington next Saturday at 7.

A top-of-the-key 3-pointer by Maurice Cato and a dunk by Eric Sandrin pushed the SPU lead to 59-50 with 5 minutes, 14 seconds left and the Redhawks (1-4/2-12), forced to foul, never pulled closer than four the rest of the way.

Seattle Pacific made 23 of 27 free throws, including 11 of 12 in the final 2:14, and committed a season-low five turnovers. However, against the Seattle U. zone, it hit just 40 percent (21-52) from the field.

Seattle U., content to shoot from the perimeter, became only the second SPU opponent to shoot over 50 percent from the field, making 51 percent (24-47) of their shots, including 9-17 outside the 3-point arc.

Aziz (Jr., 6-4, Seattle, Wa./Foster-Highline CC) grabbed seven offensive rebounds and made all seven of his free throws. Cato (Jr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.), who was nine of 11 at the line, finished with 15 points and Nick Johnson (Sr., 6-3, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Edison) scored all 10 of his points in the final period.

Darnell Lyons of the Redhawks led all players with 19 points and Steve Roberts came off the bench for 15, 12 in the second half. Roberts canned all three of his treys and Adam Enfield was 3-4. Lyons also had eight boards.

Seattle Pacific tried to pull away late in the first half, taking an 8-point lead two minutes before the break. But Seattle U. scored the final seven points of the period as Lyons, who scored 15 in the first half, hit a jumper from the right baseline to close the gap to 34-33. The Falcons' Gene Woodard (Jr., 6-4, Edmonds, Wa./O'Dea) contributed nine of his 12 points off the bench in the first half.

SEATTLE UNIV. -- Tsuchikawa 0, Enfield 11, Peterson 8, Bloom 11, Lyons 19, Roberts 15, Leptich 0, Vessey 3.

SEATTLE PACIFIC-- Cato 15, Aziz 18, Stone 4, Johnson 10, E. Sandrin 10, Harris 3, Woodard 12, D. Sandrin 0.

Halftime--SPU 34, SEA 33.