Top-Seed Seattle Pacific Trounces Chico State at West Regional
March 14, 2003

Complete Box Score

SEATTLE (March 14) -- Kelley Berglund (Sr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./ Washington State) scored a record 30 points to lead top-seeded Seattle Pacific University past eighth-seed Chico State 81-70 in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional at Brougham Pavilion Friday night.

Berglund's performance establishes a new school record for single- game postseason scoring.

The Falcons (28-0), who finished the regular season atop the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and ranked No. 1 in the nation with a perfect 27-0 overall record, never trailed in the contest as they advanced to the semi-final round tomorrow at 7 p.m. against fourth-seed Montana- State Billings. The SPU victory establishes a new school record for total wins in a season at 28, as well as the Falcons 34th straight at home.

An 18-7 Wildcats (17-10) run cut the Falcons second half lead from 16 to just five with 8:05 remaining following a three-point basket by Merce Juarez and a lay-up by Leah Rice. Berglund answered with eight straight points for the Falcons to give the Falcons an 11-point cushion with just over five minutes remaining in the contest. SPU sank eight-of-ten free throws in the closing minutes to seal the victory.

Free-throw shooting keyed the Falcons second-half resilience against a Chico will that would not quit. The Falcons converted 13-of-16 in the second half and 20-for-23 in the game.

The Wildcats remained within striking distance of the Falcons for the bulk of the first half, despite shooting just 37 percent from the floor. That quickly changed just after the ten-minute mark as Berglund sparked a 17- 8 run for the Falcons heading into halftime, scoring 12 points in the final 10 minutes of the half to give SPU a 14-point lead at the break.

Both teams struggled to find their shooting touch early-on, combining for 4-of-19 from behind the three-point arc. That allowed Berglund to be the difference for SPU, particularly in the first half as she commandeered the low post with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Berglund also added 15 rebounds to complete her ninth double-double of the season and maintain the Falcons ownership of the paint where SPU hauled in 51 rebounds compared with 36 for the Wildcats. She finished the game 13-of-24 from the field and four-of-four at the charity stripe.

Stephanie Urrutia (Sr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) sank seven-of- eight attempts from the line and finished with 16 points, adding a team- best eight assists. Kerie Hughes (Sr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mount Vernon) scored 10 points to round out the three Falcons in double-figures and handed out seven assists.

In the first game of the day, sixth-seeded Northwest Nazarene upset third-seed Western Washington 83-79 behind 29 points by Alysson Kollmann. The Crusaders advance to play second-seed Cal State Bakersfield who narrowly escaped an upset at the hands of seventh-seed Cal State Stanislaus 116-106 in overtime. Heather Garay tied a Division II single-game tournament record with 44 points to lead the Roadrunners. In the third game of the first round, Billings eliminated Central Washington 91-69 to face SPU tomorrow.

At SPU Brougham Pavilion
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 81, CAL STATE CHICO 70
CAL STATE CHICO (17-10) Pietka, Michelle 8-16 6-7 24; Rice, Leah 8-12 4-4 21; Simpton, Rexanne 2-8 2-2 7; Abts, Kim 2-10 3-4 7; Juarez, Mercedes 2-6 2-2 7; Young, Delise 1-2 0-1 2; White, Marissa 0-8 2-2 2. Totals 23-62 19-22 70.
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY (28-0) Berglund, Kelley 13-24 4-4 30; Urrutia, Stephanie 4-13 7-8 16; Hughes, Kerie 4-11 2-2 10; Gustafson, Valerie 3-6 2-3 8; Lukkes, Stacie 1-1 2-2 4; Poe, Kristin 2-6 0-0 4; Wood, Mandy 1-3 0-0 3; Smith, Carli 0-1 3-4 3; Hermanson, Trisha 1-5 0-0 3; Beaumont, Michelle 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 29-72 20-23 81.

Cal State Chico............... 31 39 - 70 
Seattle Pacific University.... 45 36 - 81

3-point goals-Cal State Chico 5-17 (Pietka, Michelle 2-5; Rice, Leah 1-1; Simpton, Rexanne 1-3; Juarez, Mercedes 1-3; White, Marissa 0-3; Young, Delise 0-1; Abts, Kim 0-1), Seattle Pacific University 3-15 (Urrutia, Stephanie 1-5; Hermanson, Trisha 1-3; Wood, Mandy 1-3; Poe, Kristin 0-1; Hughes, Kerie 0-3). Fouled out--Cal State Chico-None, Seattle Pacific University-None. Rebounds-Cal State Chico 36 (Abts, Kim 7), Seattle Pacific University 51 (Berglund, Kelley 15). Assists-Cal State Chico 18 (Abts, Kim 7), Seattle Pacific University 25 (Urrutia, Stephanie 8). Total fouls-Cal State Chico 19, Seattle Pacific University 20. A-1528 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball West Regional Game 4 Bergland's 30 points an SPU postseason record