No. 2 Falcons Put Away Anchorage with First-Half Run
January 30, 2003

SEATTLE (Jan. 30) -- Kerie Hughes (Sr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mount Vernon) led four teammates in double-figures with 15 points and a season-high nine assists to lead the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team past Alaska-Anchorage 90-57 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game Thursday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons are currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II national poll and first in the West Region.

The Falcons (8-0, 17-0), who continued their program record 17-game winning streak and extended their unbeaten stretch at home to 27 contests, finished the first half on a 21-5 run over the Seawolves (3-4, 8- 7). The run was buoyed by a 60.7 shooting percentage that eventually settled at 52.9 percent. Seattle Pacific's 19-point halftime edge increased to as much as 37 points in several instances in the second half.

Kelley Berglund (Sr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./Washington State) recorded her team-high sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-best 12 rebounds. She converted six-of-nine shot attempts and added a game-high three steals.

Carli Smith (Fr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) and Stephanie Urrutia (Sr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) rounded out the Falcons in double-figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

The Falcons homecoming week continues this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when Seattle Pacific hosts Alaska-Fairbanks.

SEATTLE PACIFIC -- Urrutia 12, Gustafson 6, Berglund 14, Hughes 15, Beaumont 4, Smith 14, Hermanson 7, Wood 8, Garis 0, Casimir 0, Lukkes 4, Kroon 6.

ANCHORAGE -- Larsen 1, Nasby 5, Aschoff 11, Larrabee 6, Massey 8, Reilly 6, Brooks 5, Stoddard 0, Behrends 4.

Halftime -- SPU 43, UAA 24