SEATTLE (Jan. 12) -- Nick Johnson scored 24 of his career-high 28 points in the second half as 10th-ranked Seattle Pacific University survived an early scare to win its 13th game in a row, 96-89 over Western Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game before nearly 1,900 fans at Brougham Pavilion Saturday night.

Forwards Yusef Aziz (Jr., 6-4, Seattle, Wa./Foster-Highline CC) and Brannon Stone (Sr., 6-9, Oak Harbor, Wa.) each added 17 points as the Falcons (5-0, 13-1) remained tied atop the standings with No. 12 Humboldt State, which beat Alaska Anchorage 76-72 in Arcata, Ca.

Johnson (Sr., 6-3, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Edison) hit 11 of 12 free throws, all in the final 46 seconds, as SPU snapped Western's string of 15 straight conference wins dating back nearly a year. Johnson made 8-14 shots and also led the team with six rebounds.

Darnell Taylor came off the bench to score 20 for Western (4-1, 10-4) and Mike Palm added 16 plus eight rebounds.

Seattle Pacific, which trailed by as much as 15 in the first period, seized momentum going into halftime and carried it into the second half, when it led by as many as 12. The Falcons can tie the school record of 14 straight wins (set in 1965-66) Thursday when they host Alaska Fairbanks.

SPU made 20-28 field goals (71 percent) in the final 20 minutes and finished with a season-best 60 percent from the field (33-55) and committed only eight turnovers. WWU, following a cold (34 percent) first half, answered by making 67 percent (20-30).

The Vikings did not go quietly, however, and gradually cut the lead down to 92-89 with 12 seconds left. Johnson then closed out the scoring by hitting four straight from the foul line.

Western nearly ran SPU out of the pavilion in the first 10 minutes, taking a 24-9 lead after Nehemiah Campbell's deep 3-pointer. But the next 10 minutes belonged to the Falcons.

Maurice Cato (Jr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.) and Stone helped jump-start a sluggish offense and Coach Ken Bone's decision to go with a 2-3 zone defense stifled the Vikings. Cato connected on two of the team's four treys during a 27-7 bolt to the halftime break. Cato's second long-range jumper put Seattle Pacific ahead for good, 32-31, two minutes before intermission.

SPU completes its seven-game homestand by hosting Alaska Fairbanks Thursday and Alaska Anchorage Saturday night.

WESTERN WASHINGTON -- Campbell 1-4 0-0 3, Geisa 4-9 0-0 10, Palm 5-8 6-6 16, Diggs 5-11 0-0 13, Stevenson 5-15 4-6 14, Burrell 1-4 2-2 5, Taylor 7-9 5-5 20, Tyree 1-1 0-0 2, Dennis 3-4 0-1 6. Totals 32-65 17-20 89.

SEATTLE PACIFIC--Aziz 7-9 2-8 17, Stone 4-8 8-9 17, E. Sandrin 3-7 0-1 7, Cato 4-9 2-4 12, Johnson 8-14 11-12 28, Lee 0-0 0-0 0, Harris 1-1 0-0 2, Bellessa 0-0 0-0 0, Keely 0-0 0-0 0, Woodard 2-2 0-2 4, D. Sandrin 4-5 0-0 9. Totals 33-55 23-36 96

Halftime--SPU 36, WWU 21. 3-Point Goals-WWU 8-23, SPU 7-18. Fouled out-Diggs, Stevenson. Rebounds-WWU 35 (Palm 8), SPU 28 (Johnson 6). Assists-WWU 16 (Stevenson 7), SPU 16 (Cato 5). Total fouls-WWU 30, SPU 17. A-1,875.