SEATTLE (Jan. 3) - Gene Woodard came off the bench to lead a balanced attack with 13 points as Seattle Pacific University rolled to a 95-60 men's basketball victory over UC Santa Cruz in the first round of the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Holiday Classic Friday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons (6-4), returning from a 15-day break and five straight games on the road, shot 54 percent (37-68) and established a school record with 20 steals to snap a three-game losing skid. Reserves Tony Binetti (Fr., 6-1, Enumclaw. Wa.) and Jesse Keely (Sr., 6-7, Fircrest, Wa./Bellarmine) added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Nick Vita of UC Santa Cruz (0-12) led all scorers with 23 points and also snared seven rebounds. The Banana Slugs committed 26 turnovers.

Despite the extended layoff, Seattle Pacific was sharp in the early going. Following a couple of lulls, it blew open the game in the final 15 minutes and eventually led by as much as 38. After Vita trimmed the lead to 47-34, the Falcons went on a 30-7 run for a 77-41 advantage with 8:33 to go.

Woodard (Sr., 6-4, Edmonds, Wa./O'Dea) got 11 of his points in the second half and finished 6-9 from the floor. Keely made all four of his field goals and Binetti, who hit two treys, added seven assists. The SPU substitutes accounted for 59 points and all 12 players scored.

Season scoring leader Yusef Aziz (Sr., 6-4, Seattle, Wa./Foster) settled for just eight points in 18 minutes but had seven assists and six steals.

The Falcons seized control from the outset, going in front 16-4 after five minutes as Daniel Sandrin (Sr., 6-7, Bothell, Wa./Bothell) hit his first three shots. The bulge grew to 43-22 late in the half on a three-pointer by Jordan Lee (So., 6-2, Tacoma, Wa./Life Christian).

Seattle Pacific shot 57 percent (17-30) in the opening period and made 12 steals, contributing to 16 first-half turnovers by the Banana Slugs.

In the first game of the tournament, Seattle University snapped Rocky Mountain's (Mont.) nine-game win streak, 77-67.

SPU hosts Rocky Mountain in the tournament's final game Saturday at 7. UC Santa Cruz plays Seattle U. at 2 p.m.

UC SANTA CRUZ - Echevestre 12, Vita 23, Jones 4, robles 2, Gilbert 2, Al-Sabah 6, Crosby 0, Owen 0, Havice 0, Page 6, Brazelton 3, Be-Emnet 2.

SEATTLE PACIFIC - Aziz 8, Sandrin 8, Chivers 8, Cato 5, Harris 7, Lee 7, Bushmaker 2, Binetti 12, Knudson 6, Keely 11, Woodard 13, Cohen 8.

Halftime-SPU 43, UCSC 27.