Picture of perfection. Off to a perfect start to both 2005 and the conference season once again, the No. 4 ranked-Seattle Pacific women’s basketball team returns home this week for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games. With the next four contests coming against teams currently in the top half of the GNAC standings, the Falcons (4-0, 12-1) will put those spotless records and a 10-game win streak on the line beginning Thursday night (Jan. 13) against Northwest Nazarene (1-2, 5-7). They then host streaking Saint Martin’s (3-0, 9-2) Saturday (Jan. 15). After that, the next three are on the road, starting Jan. 20 at Central Washington.

Defense, defense. Although the Falcons are most feared for their high-scoring offense which ranks first in the GNAC and seventh nationally, it’s their staunch defense which is currently in style. In last week’s wins at Humboldt State and Western Oregon (by identical scores of 70-49), SPU held opponents under 50 points for the fourth and fifth times this season. Opponents are averaging just 54.0 points over the last four games and 58.6 overall this season. Seattle Pacific leads the conference in defensive field-goal percentage (.348) and its average margin of 23.6 points ranks fifth in all of NCAA Division II.

Home dominance. Visitors to Brougham Pavilion over the past few seasons have not had much to look forward to, other than a quiet postgame meal. That is because Seattle Pacific has crafted a bulletproof blueprint for protecting its home court. This year it has effectively put away the welcome mat, mauling visiting teams by an average of 33.8 points in going 6-0. The Falcons have prevailed in 48 straight regular season home games and own 36 straight conference wins in Brougham over the course of four seasons. SPU has tallied 46 straight GNAC wins overall and has come out victorious in 72 of its last 73 regular season games.

Nothing fancy. Despite playing without the services of starting guard Mandy Wood (Jr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.), SPU persevered on the road last week. Nothing fancy. In fact, only three players scored in double figures, and the Falcons survived their coldest shooting and most turnovers (27) of the year at Arcata. At Western Oregon, Gordy Presnell’s depth and some timely treys helped Seattle Pacific pull away with a 20-5 run in the second half. Forward Carli Smith (Jr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) put together a solid week, totaling 24 rebounds and 21 points.

Triple threat. Go ahead, try to devise a defensive scheme to stop SPU. Arranged around the three-point arc are a bevy of outside shooting specialists. Inside, they possess three imposing post players. The Falcons’ 37 percent three-point shooting leads the conference (they are 13th nationally in treys made per game) and frightens most foes out of zone tactics. The starting trio of Wood, Amy Taylor (Sr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) and Michelle Beaumont (Sr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome)—the team’s top three scorers—all rank in the top 13 in the conference in both three pointers made and three-point accuracy. Even with Wood sidelined there was no reprieve. Trisha Hermanson (Sr., 5-6, Buckley, Wa./White River) got the starting nod and responded by hitting 3 of 5 three-pointers and scoring 11 points at Monmouth. Hermanson leads the team and is tied for No. 2 in the GNAC, hitting 61 percent of her threes (13-21).

Inside jobs. Seattle Pacific’s ability to effectively shoot the three is directly linked to an equaling imposing presence down low. Defensively, Brittney Kroon (6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) has been altering opponents’ game plans for the past two seasons. She became the school career leader last week and ranks seventh nationally ( 3.77). Now she’s coming into her own on offense. Kroon leads the league in field-goal percentage at 56.0 percent, and Smith is a close third at .545. As a team the Falcons rank fifth in the nation in overall shooting at 47 percent.

Put-backs. Wood is expected back in uniform this week after being sidelined with tendonitis. It was the first two games she’s missed during her career...With seven blocks last week, Kroon surpassed Liz Guppy (214 from 1997-01) and now has 218 with more than a year of eligibility remaining. She already held the single game (13) and season (135) marks...Beaumont is on pace for the single season mark for free-throw percentage. With just three misses in 28 attempts (.893), Beaumont is just percentage points behind Taylor’s record of 89.6 percent set last year...Along with her three three-pointers, Hermanson also had a season-high five assists in the win over Western Oregon...Autumn Fielding (So., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) matched her career highs in both points (9) and assists (3) in SPU’s victory over Humboldt State...GNAC teams 21-21 against other West Region teams (15-14 against the CCAA schools and 6-7 against independents Montana State-Billings, Western New Mexico and Grant Canyon)...SPU leads the GNAC in scoring offense (82.2), scoring margin (23.6), field-goal accuracy (.469), defensive field-goal percentage (.348), three-point accuracy (.372), rebounding margin (10.8), blocked shots (5.46) and three-pointers made (7.38). It is No. 2 in scoring defense (58.6), steals (11.08) and defensive three-point percentage (.284). Nationally, it is also No. 5 in rebounding margin and 11th in field goal accuracy. Individually, Smith is the rebounding leader (9.7) and No. 3 in field-gaol accuracy (.545). Kroon is tops in blocks (3.77) and field-goal accuracy (.560), and No. 8 in rebounding (7.2). Wood is third in assists (4.5) and eighth in three-point percentage (.385). Taylor is No. 4 in assists (4.2). Beaumont is fourth in free throw percentage (.893) and ninth in three-point percentage (.378).

Coaching Staff. For the second straight year, Gordy Presnell was voted the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s NCAA Division II Coach of the Year for 2004, along with conference and regional coach of the year honors. He has never registered a losing season in 17 years at the helm of the Seattle Pacific University basketball program, including back-to-back perfect records during the regular season the past two years. 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 12 times, including Elite Eight appearances in both 1998 and 2004. Returning to Presnell’s staff for her third season is former University of Oregon player Jamie Craighead, who completed her career in 2002 as Oregon’s leader in three-pointers. During her final season, she started all 35 games, averaging 7.9 points.

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.

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.