Streaking home. With another Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in hand, the No. 3-ranked Seattle Pacific University women’s basketball team returns to Brougham Pavilion to play its final two home regular season games. The Falcons (15-0, 24-0), the lone remaining unbeaten team in NCAA Division II, winners of their last 39 GNAC games and 57 in a row during regular season play, welcome Saint Martin’s (9-5, 12-10) Thursday night (Feb. 26), then play host to Northwest Nazarene (8-6, 13-10) Saturday (Feb. 28) on Senior Night. The final conference game is Mar. 6 at Central Washington.

Champs again. After beating Western Oregon, the Falcons knew they could clinch at least a share of the GNAC championship by winning at Humboldt State. They did just that, and to top it off, second-place Western Washington lost later that night giving Seattle Pacific the title outright, the team’s second in as many years. The Falcons earn the conference’s automatic berth in next month’s NCAA Division II tournament. They now seek to nail-down the No. 1 seed in the West Region and, with it, the right to host that tournament for the second year in a row. SPU has held the top spot in the regional rankings throughout the season. It could move up in tomorrow’s (Feb. 24) NCAA rankings following the first loss of the season by California (Pa.). Last week only one point separated the Falcons and No. 2 Drury (Mo.).

Prior to Saturday’s game (Feb. 28), the program will honor seniors Valerie Gustafson (left) and Kristin Poe (right), who have played on three conference championship teams in the last four years.

Senior salute. Prior to Saturday’s game, the program will honor seniors Valerie Gustafson (Sr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) and Kristin Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.), who have played on three conference championship teams in the last four years. Gustafson is currently leading SPU in scoring (14.9 ppg), shooting (.568 FG%) and steals (1.9 spg). Earlier this season, she passed the 1,000-point and 500-rebound plateau for her career. Gustafson is No. 3 on SPU’s career field-goal percentage list and is on pace to have another top-five season field goal percentage finish. Going into this week’s games, she needs 42 points to move into SPU’s No. 10 career scoring spot. Already a two-time academic all-conference selection, Gustafson was recently named to the CoSIDA College Division Academic All-District 8 second team.

Senior salute II. Kristin Poe’s five-year career has been marked by multiple knee injuries, but that hasn’t hampered her hustle and all-out effort each time she steps on the floor. Poe is SPU’s No. 2 rebounder (6.6 rpg) this season and is currently No. 6 on the career list. She is also tied at No. 2 on the single game rebounding chart after pulling down 22 boards against Saint Martin’s in her sophomore year, the same season she was named to the all-conference second-team. Going into this week’s games, Poe needs just four steals to move into No. 5 on SPU’s career list. An emotional leader, she has been named most inspirational by her teammates for three years running.

SPU’s sparkplug. Despite not starting a single game this season, guard Mandy Wood (So., 5-7, Port Angeles, Wa.) is playing like a starter. It’s obvious coach Gordy Presnell likes the spark Wood brings off the bench, and she did it again at Western Oregon last week. With SPU trailing in the first half against the Wolves, Presnell inserted Wood, who promptly hit three treys, including one that put the Falcons up 31-18 at halftime. Western Oregon was within 48-38 with nine minutes left until Wood hit back-to-back baskets, including another three, as the Falcons pulled away for the win. Wood finished 6-for-10 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point land, while scoring a game-high 17 points in 20 minutes. She pitched in 13 points the following game at Humboldt State. On the week, she shot 50 percent from the field (10-20) and from outside the arc (8-16).

Put-backs. SPU has been ranked No. 1 once previously, holding that prestigious spot for five weeks near the end of last season...Seattle Pacific has won 42 straight regular season home games, dating back to Jan. 18, 2001. Over that span only five teams have come within 10 points...Following SPU in last week’s regional rankings were Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Poly Pomona, Western Washington, Grand Canyon, Chico State, Sonoma State, UC San Diego, Saint Martin’s and Central Washington. In nonconference games the Falcons have beaten Pomona, Chico and UCSD...Gustafson and Poe have a combined 120-19 (.863) record over the length of their SPU careers (1999-2004). Poe missed the final 23 games of the ‘00-01 season due to knee surgery...Michelle Beaumont (Jr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) shot 4-for-8, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc, for 11 points vs. Humboldt State, while Jenny Poe (So., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw-Portland State) pitched in 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting...Brittney Kroon (So., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) tops both the NCAA and GNAC in blocked shots (4.29) and is No. 5 in the GNAC for field-goal percentage (.533). Amy Taylor (Jr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood-Oregon) leads the league in three-point (.451) shooting and is No. 7 in assists (4.0) and field-goal percentage (.495) and eighth in three-point field-goals made (1.92). Gustafson is the GNAC’s No. 1 shooter (.568, No. 24 in DII), No. 5 in steals (1.92) and No. 8 in scoring (14.9). Carli Smith (So., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) is No. 3 in offensive rebounds (3.22), No. 4 in rebounding (8.4) and free-throw shooting (.843) and No. 7 in defensive rebounds (4.62). Wood is No. 3 in three-point shooting (.436) and No. 7 in three-point field goals made (2.00). Kristin Poe is ninth in defensive rebounds (4.62) and No. 10 in rebounding (6.6). Beaumont is No. 10 in three-point shooting (.352)...As a team, the Falcons lead the GNAC in scoring offense (80.8, No. 5 in DII), scoring defense (58.1), scoring margin (+22.7, No. 5 in DII), field-goal percentage (.465, No. 17 in DII), field-goal percentage defense (.342, No. 6 in DII), three-point field-goal percentage (.393, No. 9 in DII), rebounding (44.5), rebounding margin (+10.1, No. 7 in DII), blocks (6.79), steals (11.88) and three-point field-goals (7.25, No. 14 in DII).

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.