SEATTLE (Feb. 1) -- Kerie Hughes (Sr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mount Vernon) recorded an 18-point, 10-assist double-double and added four steals to lead the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team past Alaska-Fairbanks 80-72 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game on Homecoming Saturday at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons are currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II national poll and first in the West Region. Seattle Pacific extended a pair of program-record wining streaks with today's victory. The team's home win streak now stands at 28 games and the overall stretch reaches 18.

The Falcons (18-0, 9-0) faced just their second halftime deficit of the season, trailing by as much as 11 points in the first half and entering the locker-room down eight to the Nanooks (6-11, 1-8). Seattle Pacific gained and retained their first lead of the game with a 23-8 run in the beginning of the second-half.

An eight-point lead by the Falcons was reduced to two in 28 seconds with under a minute remaining when Fairbanks hit back-to-back three-pointers off turnovers by Seattle Pacific on an inbound pass. Four free-throws in the waning seconds by Hughes and Stephanie Urrutia (Sr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) sealed the victory for the Falcons.

Fairbanks missed just nine field-goal attempts in the first half on their way to a 57.7 shooting percentage. Sara Kupczyk and Cecilia Chan combined for four of the Nanooks six first-half three-pointers. The Falcons, meanwhile, shot just 41 percent and converted only two of nine three- point attempts in the first stanza.

Hughes recorded the first double-double of her career and her 10 assists is a season-high, two shy of her career-best. Carli Smith (Fr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) completed her fourth double-double of the season, second on the team behind Kelley Berglund (Sr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./Washington State).

Berglund and Urrutia keyed the Falcons second half run with 11 and 12 points, respectively. Berglund finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Urrutia scored 16 points to round out the four Falcons in double- figures. The Falcons travel to Saint Martin's College next Thursday, Feb. 6, for a 5 p.m. matchup against the Saints.

SEATTLE PACIFIC -- Urrutia 16, Gustafson 4, Berglund 17, Hughes 18, Beaumont 2, Smith 12, Hermanson 8, Wood 3, Lukkes 0, Kroon 0.

ALASKA FAIRBANKS -- Durny 5, Hartman 8, Taalak 8, Arts 15, Burgess 18, Chan 6, Seeger 0, Kupczyk 10, Hollenbeck 2.

Halftime -- SPU 33, UAF 41