SPU Women Picked to Three-Peat in GNAC Basketball
November 2, 2004

SEATTLE (Nov. 2) ­ Seattle Pacific University once again is the overwhelming favorite to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball championship.

The Falcons have cruised to the GNAC title each of the past two seasons posting perfect 27-0 regular-season records and will take a 60-game regular-season win streak and a 42-game conference win streak into the 2004-05 season.

SPU received all 10 first-place votes in the GNAC coaches preseason poll. Western Washington finished a distant second in the balloting.

Coach Gordy Presnell returns eight letterwinners, including three starters off last years West Region championship team: forward Michelle Beaumont, point guard Amy Taylor and center Brittney Kroon, the NCAA Division II leader in blocked shots. Taylor, who led the GNAC in free throw percentage (89.6) and ranked fourth in assists (4.42), earned second team all-conference honors a year ago and was also selected the league newcomer of the year. Also back is Mandy Wood, one of the top scoring reserves in the conference.

Seattle Pacific plays Portlands Warner Pacific in the first regular season game, Nov. 19 in the first round of the Sodexho Tip-Off Classic in Brougham Pavilion.