MONMOUTH, Ore. (Jan. 23) -- Yusef Aziz scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half but it was a late run by Seattle Pacific University which was the difference as the Falcons won their third in a row, 88-77 over Western Oregon in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game Thursday night.

The road win kept SPU (5-1, 9-6) tied with Humboldt State atop the GNAC standings. The Falcons visit the No. 2-ranked Lumberjacks, winners of 26 straight at home, Saturday night in Arcata, Calif.

After the Wolves (2-4, 10-6) erased a 12-point deficit, tying the game at 60, Seattle Pacific responded with a 16-4 run. Maurice Cato (Sr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.) hit two three-pointers during the spree, his second making it 76-64 with two minutes remaining.

Cato finished with 14 points and five steals. Adam Harris (Sr., 6-0, Fox Island, Wa./Gig Harbor) had a career-high 15 and Daniel Sandrin (Sr., 6-7, Bothell, Wa./Bothell) added 14.

The Falcons held the GNAC's top two scorers, Sean Kelly and Robert Day, under their averages of 24 and 23 points per game respectively. Kelly finished with 15, but did not score in the second half, while Day had 16.

Kevin Tyner of the Wolves had 14 points and 11 assists.

SPU, shooting over 50 percent for the third game in a row, hit a season-best 61 percent (34-56) from the floor. It is 9-0 this season when either shooting over 49 percent or leading at the half. Harris connected on 4-5 treys and Cato was 3-5 as the visitors shot 8-16 from outside the arc.

Western Oregon came out of the blocks cold and Aziz quickly took advantage. He scored 11 points during a 15-2 charge for a 28-21 lead and hit 10 of 12 shots in the first period, after which SPU led 43-32. He finished 12-17 from the field and also had six rebounds and six assists.

The Wolves quickly closed that gap to four points (46-42) just two and a half minutes into the second half on a pair of Day treys. But Harris hit back-to-back three-pointers and was fouled on the second launch, converting a four-point play.

Seattle Pacific has now won its last five GNAC road games, dating back to last season.

SEATTLE PACIFIC -- Aziz 27, Sandrin 14, Chivers 5, Harris 15, Cato 14, Lee 4, Binetti 0, Knudson 0, Keely 0, Woodard 5, Cohen 4.

WESTERN OREGON -- Broderick-Kartye 6, Kelly 15, Olson 14, Day 16, Summers 6, Brown 9, Brusseau 0, Turner 1, Dixon 4.

Halftime--SPU 43, WOU 33.