Brougham at last. If there is any truth to the phrase ‘home is where the heart is,’ the fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific University women’s basketball team looks to have a successful Valentine’s week as they return to the home hardwood after playing four consecutive games away from Brougham Pavilion. The unbeaten Falcons (11-0, 20-0) host Alaska Anchorage (4-7, 9-11) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match-up on Thursday (Feb. 12), then welcome Alaska Fairbanks (3-8, 7-12) Saturday (Feb. 14) night. SPU hits the road to Western Oregon and Humboldt State next week.

Mission accomplished (so far). Seattle Pacific faced its toughest stretch of the season: four straight road games, including a pair against two top teams in the conference, and managed to come away unscathed. Still intact are the Falcons’ streaks of 35 straight conference wins and 53 consecutive regular-season victories, and this week they look to extend the string of 42 home regular season wins in a row. Last week, Coach Gordy Presnell’s squad reached the 20-win plateau for the seventh time in the last eight years and is perched atop the NCAA West Region rankings. The No. 4 Falcons will likely move up in the national rankings due to previously undefeated, No. 2 Emporia State’s loss last week. SPU and top-ranked California, Pa. (22-0) are the only remaining Division II teams without a loss.

She’s got the point. It’s safe to say that point guard Amy Taylor (Jr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood-Oregon) has found her groove. After scoring 11 points and dishing five assists in a 79-53 win over Seattle University, Taylor had 17 points (15 in the second half) and seven assists in the 71-58 win at Western. For the week, Taylor shot 47 percent (8-17) from the field, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Through 11 games, the junior transfer leads the GNAC in three-point (.519) and free-throw (.893) marksmanship, is No. 3 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.96) and in three-point field-goals made (2.45). Taylor is fourth in field-goal percentage (.543), sixth in assists (4.09), and is No. 9 in scoring (13.8).

Statistical mountain. Through 11 GNAC games, Seattle Pacific leads in 14 of 19 statistical categories: scoring offense (79.7), scoring defense (60.9), scoring margin (+18.8), field-goal percentage (.476), field-goal percentage defense (.355), three-point field-goal percentage (.404), rebounding (43.4), rebounding margin (+10.7), defensive rebounding (28.73), assists (20.27), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.07), blocks (6.73), steals (11.27) and three-point field-goals made per game (7.27). The Falcons are No. 2 in offensive rebounds (14.64) and No. 3 in turnover margin (+1.00), rebounding defense (32.6) and free-throw percentage (.732). The one category SPU is not listed among the top five is three-point field-goal percentage defense, where it ranks sixth (.333).

On the block. Opponents are finding it difficult to stop Seattle Pacific’s inside trio of Valerie Gustafson (Sr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills), Brittney Kroon (So., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) and Carli Smith (So., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian). In last week’s wins across town and in Bellingham, the three combined for 60 points on 58 percent shooting (21-36) and managed to pull down 42 rebounds. On the season, Gustafson leads the Falcons in scoring (15.7 ppg), shooting (.567) and steals (2.0). Kroon is the team’s leading shot blocker (4.2) and Smith is tops in rebounding (8.3).

Put-backs. Mandy Wood (So., 5-7, Port Angeles, Wa.) scored 14 points (6-10 FGs, 2-4 3FGs) in 18 minutes against Seattle U...The last time SPU lost a regular-season game at home was on Jan. 18, 2001, a 67-55 loss to Central Washington...In conference games, Gustafson is the No. 2 shooter (.583) and is No. 7 in steals (1.73) and scoring (14.9)...Kristin Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw) is No. 2 in three-point field-goal percentage (.480) and in steals (2.18), No. 6 in defensive rebounds (5.00) and No. 9 in rebounds (6.9)...Kroon is the top shot blocker in Division II (4.73) and the No. 5 field-goal shooter (.515)...Wood is No. 4 in three-point field-goal percentage (.422) and No. 8 in three-point field-goals made (1.73)...Smith is No. 2 in free-throw shooting (.875), No. 4 in offensive rebounds (3.00), No. 5 in rebounding (8.0) and No. 6 in defensive rebounds (5.00)...As a team, the Falcons are ranked nationally in a number of statistical categories, including first in won-lost percentage (100.0), sixth in scoring offense (82.6), No. 8 in scoring margin (+21.4), No. 12 in rebound margin (+8.8), No. 13 in three-point field-goals per game (7.2), No. 14 in three-point field-goal percentage (.380), No. 16 in field-goal percentage (.469) and 19th in field-goal percentage defense (.352).

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.