Travel time. Just as the Thanksgiving leftovers are being put away and the holiday shopping season jumps into full swing, the Seattle Pacific University women’s basketball team hits the road for a pair of tough early-season tests. The 22nd-ranked Falcons (2-0) travel to Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Id., for the Crusader Homecoming Classic this weekend (Nov. 28-29). SPU meets Idaho’s Lewis-Clark State (3-2) Friday afternoon (Nov. 28) and Cal State Stanislaus (1-0) is the opposition Saturday (Nov. 29). The Falcons then host Central Washington Dec. 4 to begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Road test. This week’s tournament affords the Falcons the opportunity to further polish their game in preparation for the GNAC campaign. Historically, Lewis-Clark State is the top NAIA program in the Northwest while Cal State Stanislaus was one of the top teams in the West a year ago, and figures to be among the favorites for the California Collegiate Athletic Association title. Going into this weekend, Seattle Pacific has won 35 straight regular season games and it has won 15 in a row overall on the road.

V-A-L is M-V-P. Coach Gordy Presnell said before the season began that forward Valerie Gustafson (Sr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) needed to score more for the Falcons to have a successful year. Well, so far, so good, as Gustafson seems to have taken that challenge to heart. In last weekend’s Falcon Hoop Classic, she earned tournament MVP as SPU scored impressive wins over UC San Diego (89-57) and Montana State Billings (66-42). In the latter outing, Gustafson cranked it up a notch, scoring a career-high 24 points (11-18 FGs) and grabbing a career-best tying 10 rebounds while making four steals. Her totals of 32 points (15-23 FGs) and 15 rebounds earned her GNAC player of the week.

Coming out party. Seattle Pacific has a new defensive force in the paint as center Brittney Kroon (So., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) made the most of her debut in the starting lineup. Against UC San Diego, Kroon recorded her first-ever double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds (both career bests) and four blocks in just 21 minutes of action. Kroon was limited by foul trouble vs. MSU Billings, but still managed to block five shots and was later named to the all-tournament team.

Solid starting efforts. The rest of the Falcons’ starting five, Kristin Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw), Michelle Beaumont (Jr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) and newcomer Amy Taylor (Jr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood-Oregon), all made significant contributions in the opening wins. Poe joined Kroon and Gustafson on the all-tournament team after posting solid numbers (12 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists) for the weekend. Beaumont scored 15 points (6-13 FGs) and Taylor dished seven assists against UC San Diego. Taylor also scored nine points the next night vs. MSU Billings.

Bench makes mark. Presnell was liberal in using his reserves, with all 13 players seeing action. Transfer guard Jenny Poe (So., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw-Portland State) came off the bench to score 12 points (5-9 FGs, 2-2 treys), grab four rebounds and dish three assists against UCSD and contributed six points and seven rebounds vs. Billings. Forward Carli Smith (So., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian), last season’s super-sub, had eights points, eight rebounds and four steals in 18 minutes against UCSD. Reserve point guard Mandy Wood (So., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa./Port Angeles) totaled 17 points, nine assists and three steals in 32 total minutes for the weekend.

Put-backs. Back-up point guard Trisha Hermanson (Jr., 5-6, Buckley, Wa./White River) played 18 minutes against UCSD but did not suit up for the Billings game because of a hand injury. She is doubtful for this weekend...Seattle Pacific extended its regular season home win streak to 36 games, dating back to Jan. 18, 2001...After redshirting last year, Mackenzie Duffin (So., 6-2, Kent, Wa./Kent-Meridian) scored four points and grabbed six boards vs. UCSD...All three freshmen scored their first Falcon points vs. UCSD. Tara Jacob (Fr., 5-10, Edmonds, Wa./Meadowdale) and Rachel Strand (Fr., 6-2, Shoreline, Wa./King’s) both scored two and Anna Soule (Fr., 5-5, Puyallup, Wa./Emerald Ridge) added a free throw...Strand played 18 minutes over the weekend, totaling eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two points...Kroon is the early leader in GNAC blocked shots (4.50)...The bench outscored their UCSD counterparts 38-16 and the 42 points by Billings was the lowest in the 24 meetings between the teams...After two games, the team leads the GNAC in field-goal percentage defense (.272), assists (23.5) and blocks (7.5)...After hitting 39 percent from behind the arc last season, the team began just 7-39 (.179)...The Falcons have won their last five openers and 16 of 17 under Presnell.

Tickets, Please. General admission tickets for all SPU home women’s basketball games are priced $5, with students, youth and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Reserved seating for doubleheaders with men’s games are $7 and $6. Teams or groups can qualify for discount rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.

SPU Coaches. Coach Gordy Presnell was voted the 2003 Russell Athletic/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year for NCAA Division II last season after having also been named both conference and regional coach of the year. He has never registered a losing season in 16 years at the helm of the Seattle Pacific University basketball program. Presnell took a team that had not recorded a winning record in nine seasons or earned a trip to the postseason and transformed it into a Division II powerhouse. During his tenure, the Falcons have averaged 21 wins per season and qualified for the playoffs 11 times, including an Elite Eight appearance in 1998.

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.