The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

No. 1 Falcons Advance to Regional Final with Win Over Billings
March 15, 2003

SEATTLE (March 15) -- Kelley Berglund (Sr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./ Washington State) scored 21 points and Kerie Hughes (Sr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mount Vernon) finished with 20 to lead top-seeded Seattle Pacific University past fifth-seed Montana State Billings 86-70 in the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II West Regional at Brougham Pavilion Saturday night.

Seattle Pacific will vie for its first trip to the Elite Eight since 1998 in the regional championship game against second-seed Cal State Bakersfield Monday night at 7 p.m.

The Falcons (29-0), 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, stuck with an up-tempo attack against the Yellow Jackets (21-7) that yielded multiple opens shots for a 43.9 shooting percentage and 36 trips to the free-throw line.

Billings drew to within eight points with under eight minutes remaining before the Falcons responded with an 18-10 game-ending run.

After trailing by a basket three minutes in the contest, the Falcons embarked on a 13-4 run that included three fast-break lay-ins and a three- pointer in transition by Hughes. The Yellow Jackets refused to quit, however, pulling to within three at 27-24 midway through the first half.

An 18-9 run fueled by multiple easy transition baskets and open long- range looks for Falcons shooters increased the lead for Seattle Pacific to its first-stanza pinnacle at 12 points with just under two minutes remaining. A pair of three-point baskets by the Jackets put them within striking distance at eight points heading into halftime.

Berglund converted 7-of-9 from the field and the same ratio at the charity stripe. She also added a team-high eight rebounds, blocked two shots and forced three steals.

Hughes, who masterminded the Falcons full-court offense, hit two three- pointers and sank 6-of-8 free-throw attempts. She handed out a team- high five assists and forced four steals.

Stephanie Urrutia (Sr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) and Valerie Gustafson (Jr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) also reached double-figures with 11 points apiece. Gustafson hauled in eight rebounds to help lead the Falcons and picked up three steals.

Monday's championship represents the Falcons fourth trip to a regional final since 1997. In 1998, SPU reached the Elite Eight for the deepest postseason advancement in school history. The Falcons enter the game with a school-record 29-game winning streak and a 35-game perfect stretch at home.

Bakersfield finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation and is currently riding a 25-game unbeaten streak after topping sixth-seeded Northwest Nazarene 103-84 in the other semi-final. The Roadrunners have scored 219 points in their two tournament games, led by the nation's leading scorer Heather Garay who tallied 76 points in the first two days of the regional.

At SPU Brougham Pavilion
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 86, MONTANA STATE-BILLINGS 70
MONTANA STATE-BILLINGS (21-7) Langford, Joan 6-14 0-0 15; Bachmann, Jessica 5-10 1-2 13; Visger, Natalie 3-14 6-6 12; Petersen, Tanya 4-7 0-0 10; Milne, Robyn 2-6 4-4 8; Henigman, Jessie 2-6 2-2 7; Bantz, Amy 2-5 0-0 5; Langford, Jenny 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 13-14 70.
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY (29-0) Berglund, Kelley 7-9 7-9 21; Hughes, Kerie 6-11 6-8 20; Gustafson, Valerie 4-9 3-5 11; Urrutia, Stephanie 4-11 2-2 11; Poe, Kristin 3-6 1-6 7; Wood, Mandy 2-7 1-2 6; Hermanson, Trisha 1-4 0-0 3; Beaumont, Michelle 1-5 0-0 2; Smith, Carli 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 29-66 23-36 86.


Montana State-Billings........ 39 31 - 70 
Seattle Pacific University.... 47 39 - 86

3-point goals-Montana State-Billings 9-20 (Langford, Joan 3-7; Petersen, Tanya 2-3; Bachmann, Jessica 2-3; Henigman, Jessie 1-2; Bantz, Amy 1-2; Langford, Jenny 0-1; Visger, Natalie 0-2), Seattle Pacific University 5-16 (Hughes, Kerie 2-3; Urrutia, Stephanie 1-3; Hermanson, Trisha 1-3; Wood, Mandy 1-5; Beaumont, Michelle 0-1; Poe, Kristin 0-1). Fouled out--Montana State-Billings-Henigman, Jessie; Visger, Natalie, Seattle Pacific University-None. Rebounds-Montana State-Billings 37 (Henigman, Jessie 9), Seattle Pacific University 47 (Gustafson, Valerie 8; Berglund, Kelley 8; Poe, Kristin 8). Assists-Montana State-Billings 18 (Bantz, Amy 6), Seattle Pacific University 21 (Hughes, Kerie 5). Total fouls-Montana State-Billings 24, Seattle Pacific University 13. A-1145