Nine down, nine to go. With the first half of the conference schedule in the books, the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team begins what appears to be a fight to the finish for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown. And the 8th-ranked Falcons (6-3, 14-4) will figuratively have the wind at their backs as they play four of the next six games at home, beginning Thursday (Jan. 31) when they host Northwest Nazarene (4-6, 9-8). Saturday afternoon's (Feb. 2) homecoming matinee brings Saint Martin's (3-6, 8-9) to Brougham Pavilion. The Falcons have won 15 straight home games and 28 of 29 over the last three years. SPU travels to Bellingham Feb. 7 to play conference leader Western Washington.

Here they come. Five teams appear to have a legitimate chance at contending for the GNAC crown as the second half of the league schedule begins. Seattle Pacific, the reigning conference champion and preseason favorite, slipped into a third-place tie following an overtime loss at Central Washington. The Falcons' three league losses have been by a combined margin of 10 points, including two in overtime. With regard to the NCAA Division II playoffs, SPU could possibly slip to fifth or sixth in the West Region this week. Only the top six schools will qualify for the postseason in March. The new national rankings will be released by Jan. 30.

Waiting for 300. While this is a week for welcoming the alumni back to campus, Coach Gordy Presnell will be hosting his alma mater's team on a potentially momentous occasion. Presnell is one victory away from the 300th for his coaching career going into Thursday's game with Northwest Nazarene. The Crusaders, incidentally, handed SPU a 66-62 loss Dec. 8 in Nampa, Id. With a record of 299-120 (a winning percentage of .714), he has guided the Falcons to 15 straight winning seasons and six NCAA playoff berths in the last seven years.

It's not over 'til...what? Seattle Pacific has proven to be a prolific scoring team in a number of ways this season, beginning with four straight games of 100 or more points early in the year and, most recently, with a barrage of 3-pointers which brought the Falcons back from the dead at Ellensburg. Central Washington led by as much as 23 in the second half and by 21 with just under six minutes remaining in regulation. At that point it began to rain basketballs from beyond the 3-point arc. SPU scored 25 points­15 coming from treys­in the final 5:30 to force overtime. Kerie Hughes (Jr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mt. Vernon), whose 3-pointer with 12 seconds to go tied the game at 74-all in regulation, momentarily seemed to have sent the game to a second extra period with a layup at the first overtime buzzer. But, seconds later, the officials ruled that time had expired and declared the Wildcats were winners, 84-82.

The frosh factor. Of the Falcons' season-high-tying nine 3-pointers, eight came off the fingertips of two freshmen, reserve point guard Trisha Hermanson (Fr., 5-6, Buckley, Wa./White River) and starting forward Emily Faurholt (Fr., 5-11, Kennewick, Wa./Kennewick). Hermanson connected on five treys in nine attempts, including three during the final 4:19 of regulation. She finished with a season-high 17 points and also had three assists. Faurholt was 3-4 outside the arc (she was also fouled while attempting another trey) and led the team with a season-high 26 points. Faurholt has quietly made a case for being voted GNAC freshman of the year. Quietly, that is, until last week. Last year's state 4-A state player of the year is second on the team in scoring (11.2) and third in rebounding (5.8). Hermanson is averaging 3.9 points, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals. Yet another freshman, Michelle Beaumont (Fr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome), is a top reserve, averaging 8.4 points in 16.8 minutes per game.

The Berglund factor. As goes Kelley Berglund (Jr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./Pt. Angeles-Washington State), so go the Falcons. Or so it seems. In the team's four losses, Berglund has totaled only 31 points and been plagued with foul trouble. Central marked the sixth game in which she has drawn four or more fouls and SPU is only 2-4 in those games. Berglund managed just eight points and played only 20 minutes in her much-anticipated duel with Wildcats center Rose Shaw, who posted a double-double of 26 points and 14 boards.

Put-backs. Gyongyver "Gus" Balogh, who completed her remarkable career by being named both first team Academic All-America and conference player of the year, is one of 10 finalists chosen by the Post-Intelligencer for the 2001 Seattle Sports Star of the Year, to be announced Jan. 28...Valerie Gustafson (So., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) and Kristin Poe (So., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw) both came back from ankle sprains to play at Central. Gustafson had missed three games while Poe limped off the court of the Jan. 19 game with Humboldt State...As a team, the Falcons rank first in the GNAC in scoring (80.6), margin of victory (+19.6), free-throw percentage (.729) and rebounding margin (+8.6). The Falcons are sixth at the NCAA Division II level in scoring, second in scoring margin, and ninth in field-goal percentage and rebounding margin...Individually, Berglund is first in GNAC field-goal shooting (.598), fourth in scoring (15.7) and 10th in rebounding (6.7). Hughes is first in free-throw shooting (.900), second in assists (5.1) and 3-point percentage (.500, 17-34) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.38). Stephanie Urrutia (Jr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) is seventh in assists (3.6), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.65), fifth in blocked shots (.94) and seventh in assists (3.6). Poe is sixth in steals (2.50) and Gustafson is 10th in blocks (0.63).

Opponents & series notes. The Falcons are 6-1 all-time against Northwest Nazarene following the loss earlier this season. SPU shot just 27 percent from the floor in the second half and 63 percent from foul line in that game...SPU is 27-10 all-time against Saint Martin's, including a 68-53 victory at Lacey Dec. 6. Berglund led the way versus the Saints with a 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Falcons have won six straight against SMC, dating back to 1998.

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.