The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

Hironaka To Put Stamp On '03-04 SPU Cagers
Falcons Finish 16-11; NCAA Appearance String Snaps At 6
April 8, 2003

Complete Weekly Release PDF Version
2002-03 Results	2002-03 Roster

Put-backs

The West Regional was full of upsets, beginning when eighth-seeded Cal State Bakersfield knocked off host BYU Hawaii in the first round, 50-41. It marked only the second time in seven years that the top seed had failed to advance to the Elite Eight...Harris, Sandrin, Jordan Lee (So., 6-2, University Place, Wa./Life Christian) and Chris Cohen (Jr., 6-8, Saint Helens, Or.) gave Seattle Pacific four selections to the academic all-GNAC team, tying the Falcons with Western Oregon for the most. Harris is a three-time selection while both Sandrin and Cohen were repeats...Aziz was a first team all-conference pick and second all-region. He was a repeat selection in both cases. Cato and Chivers each received honorable mention all-conference...SPU was .500 (5-5) in road games but the four home losses was the most since 1987-88...Hironaka's 16 wins ranks second only to Ken Bone (17) for a first-year SPU coach...Jeff Knudson (Fr., 6-7, Mukilteo, Wa./Kamiak) hit 7-9 three-pointers in the final week to finished as the GNAC season accuracy leader (.500/37-74). Knudson came off the bench for 24 points in 26 minutes vs. Saint Martin's and Central. His percentage ties for No. 3 all-time...After committing a total of just 17 turnovers in the previous two games, SPU had 21 vs. CWU...Aziz posted his third double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds) vs. Central...Chivers had 18 offensive boards in his last four games. His 72 offensive boards was the most in six years...Woodard scored in double figures five of the last eight games, averaging 10.6...Lee had his best game since opening night with 12 points and three assists vs. Saint Martin's, a 96-61 blowout...The loss to Central kept SPU from a three-way share of the GNAC title with Alaska Fairbanks and Humboldt...Seattle Pacific has now finished third or higher in the conference for 13 consecutive years...Since Feb. 8, SPU converted 76.4 percent of its free throws...Seattle Pacific led the GNAC and finished No. 6 in NCAA 3-point shooting (.409) and ninth in overall field goal accuracy (.498). The latter was the highest percentage since 1993...Individually, Harris was third in GNAC three-point accuracy (.486/36-74). Aziz ranked among the conference leaders in scoring (17.6/No. 6), assists (3.5/No. 8), steals (1.48/No. 8) and rebounding (6.2/No. 10). Chivers was No. 7 in rebounding (6.6) and No. 8 in blocks (0.85). Cato was No. 7 in steals (1.52) and No. 10 in assists (3.2).

We'll take it. If not for a unlikely twist of fate, Seattle Pacific University would have made the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament for the seventh year in a row in 2003. As it was, a missed three-pointer at the final buzzer of the final regular season game Mar. 8 and an upset result some 1,400 miles away finished the Falcons at 16-11. In the weeks since, players have earned postseason honors while the coaching staff has begun the process of replacing six graduated seniors.

Missed it by that much. No other first-year Seattle Pacific coach has guided his team to the postseason, but Jeff Hironaka came oh so close. Hironaka and his players hung on despite hard times around New Year's and another rough patch toward the end. The Falcons, who were 6-6 at one point, won 10 of their final 15 games. By far the most memorable was the epic four-overtime, 113-108 victory against then 3rd-ranked Humboldt State. However, a heartbreaking 105-102 loss to Central Washington in the regular season finale´ perched SPU on the proverbial bubble. Hours later, the bubble burst as Hawaii Hilo claimed the eighth and final berth in the West Regional. Fourth-seeded Cal Poly Pomona won the West and advanced the Elite Eight, where Northeastern State (Ok.) prevailed as NCAA champion.

Back to work. Having lost nine seniors in the past two years, next year Hironaka will definitely put his stamp on the program. His first recruit a year ago, center Jason Chivers (So., 6-8, Palmdale, Ca./Highland-L.A. Trade Tech), emerged as a potent force over the second half of the season. Chivers averaged 13.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and shot 65 percent from the field in the final 12 games. For the season, he was the Falcons' top rebounder (6.6), No. 3 scorer (10.0) and led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in field-goal accuracy (.590). Hironaka will have five returning lettermen, plus three redshirt freshmen returning to the fold. His first opportunity to get written commitments from recruits comes when the national letter of intent (NLI) signing period begins Apr. 16.

Senior citizens. The perseverance of six seniors played a large part in the Falcons' late-season resurgence. Hironaka started four seniors and the two others were key reserves. All-region and all-conference selection Yusef Aziz (Sr., 6-4, Seattle, Wa./Foster) headlined the cast, leading the way in scoring (17.6) and assists (3.5) while shooting 50 percent from the field and pulling down 6.2 rebounds. Aziz was the first player in 16 years to lead the team in both scoring and assists. Other graduating starters are guards Maurice Cato (Sr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.) and Adam Harris (Sr., 6-0, Fox Island, Wa./Gig Harbor) and forward Daniel Sandrin (Sr., 6-7, Bothell, Wa./Bothell). Cato, a two-year starter, was the leader in steals (1.53) and No. 2 in scoring (10.9), assists (3.2) and free throw accuracy (.810). Harris was among the top three-point marksmen in the GNAC. Sandrin and reserve frontliners Gene Woodard (Sr., 6-4, Edmonds, Wa./O'Dea) and Jesse Keely (Sr., 6-7, Fircrest, Wa./Bellarmine) filled key roles, averaging a combined 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Camps around the corner. Along with recruiting, Hironaka and his staff are preparing for the annual summertime Falcon Basketball Camps. Daily sessions have been expanded from three to seven hours. Camp weeks are July 7-10 and July 14-17 and the cost is $150. For registration forms, click here.

Some close calls. It's was a season of close calls for the Falcons. More than half (14) of the games were decided by nine of fewer points, including nine of the 11 losses. Generally, SPU was a frontrunner, winning 15 of 16 games it led at the half. The top shooting team (.498 overall and .409 on three-pointers) in the GNAC, it was 14-3 when shooting at least 49 percent from the floor. The closest call of all was the power rating factor used by the NCAA. When Alaska Anchorage lost to Northwest Nazarene Mar. 8, the Seawolves' value as an opponent dropped as they finished under .500 (13-14). The trickle-down effect was just enough to allow Hawaii Hilo and Cal State Bakersfield to surpass Seattle Pacific in the final regional rankings.

On schedule. Hironaka's 2003-04 schedule is quickly taking shape. The Falcons are involved in four tournaments, including hosting of the Vitamilk Tip-Off Classic and Oak Harbor Freight Lines Holiday Classic. Tentatively, Saint Leo (Fl.) and Southwest Baptist (Mo.) provide opposition in the first tourney with Tampa and Alderson-Broaddus (WV) arriving around the holidays. Alderson-Broaddus qualified for the 2003 NCAA tournament while Tampa has made the playoffs 14 of the last 20 years. SPU will also play in Chico State's tournament, return to the High Desert Classic in Las Vegas and visit UC San Diego.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.