Fourth-Ranked Falcons Women Remain Perfect in GNAC With Another Rout
January 13, 2005

Complete Game Stats

SEATTLE (Jan. 13) – Mandy Wood had a spectacular return to the Falcon lineup, pouring in a game-high 20 points to lead nationally fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific to an 83-50 victory over Northwest Nazarene in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game on Thursday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons (5-0 GNAC, 13-1), who rank fifth nationally with an average margin of victory of 24 points, defeated a team by 30 or more for the fifth time this season. It was SPU’s 11th straight victory overall and 47th straight in GNAC play. The Falcons, who remained atop two undefeated teams with four league wins for the GNAC lead, have also won 49 straight at home and 73 of their last 74 overall during the regular season. The Crusaders fell to 1-3 in the GNAC and 5-8 overall with their seventh loss in their last eight games.

Wood (Jr., Port Angeles, Wash.), who sat out both of SPU’s road victories last week with tendonitis, showed no signs of rust. She shot 9 of 14 from the field, including 2 for 5 from three-point range in just 19 minutes of action. Wood scored 15 points in the second half alone, in which SPU outscored NNU 41-22.

Wood scored 10 of SPU’s first 14 points in the second half as the Falcons stormed out of the break with a 21-9 run to put the game out of reach, 65-37 with 9:54 remaining. Less than three minutes later, Wood drained a three pointer to push the lead to 30, and SPU did not allow another field goal until the dying seconds en route to an easy victory.

Brittney Kroon (Jr., Wasilla, Ak.) had 16 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots in the victory. GNAC rebounding leader Carli Smith (Jr., Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) registered her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Amy Taylor (Sr., Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) had eight points and dished nine assists.

Kara Gonzales led the Crusaders with 13 points as the only NNU player to score in double figures. Jessica Metz and Danielle Pridgen grabbed 13 rebounds each but SPU, who leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in rebounding margin, out-boarded the Crusaders 53-42.

The Falcons did what they do best by spreading the ball around in the first half to capture a 14-point lead at the break. Nine different players scored at least two points in the first half alone in SPU’s balanced attack.

SPU began to pull away midway through the first half. Beth Christensen (Fr., Enumclaw, Wa.) and Wood buried three-point baskets on the opening and closing ends of a 10-0 run to put the Falcons on top by 12, 31-19, with 7:24 left in the half. The Crusaders trimmed the deficit down to eight, but SPU responded with seven unanswered points capped off by a Taylor three pointer to pull ahead by 15 with a minute left in the half.

The Falcons shot just 36 percent in the first half, but fired back with a 62 percent performance in the second and finished at their season average of 47 percent for the game. Northwest Nazarene’s comeback hope was plagued by 20 percent shooting in the second half and a dismal 25 percent for the game.

Two of the GNAC’s three remaining undefeated teams will be on hand Saturday night at Brougham Pavilion when the Falcons host Saint Martin’s (4-0, 10-2). Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 83, NORTHWEST NAZARENE 50
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (1-2, 5-7) Gonzalez,Kara 5-12 3-4 13; VanBrocklin,Whitney 2-5 3-4 8; Metz,Jessica 3-15 0-0 7; Pridgen,Danielle 1-14 4-5 7; Lind,Trisha 2-6 1-2 5; Schutte,Nicole 1-2 1-2 3; Clark,Whitney 1-3 1-2 3; Shively,Erin 1-5 0-0 2; Sacht,Faith 1-6 0-0 2; Clevenger,Jami 0-1 0-0 0; Thorpe,Amanda 0-0 0-0 0; Kotter,Katie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-69 13-19 50.
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY (4-0, 12-1) Wood,Mandy 9-14 0-0 20; Kroon,Brittney 6-8 4-5 16; Smith,Carli 5-7 1-1 11; Beaumont,Michelle 3-9 2-2 9; Taylor,Amy 3-6 0-0 8; Fielding,Autumn 2-5 0-0 5; Strand,Rachel 1-6 2-2 4; Poe,Jenny 2-6 0-0 4; Christensen,Beth 1-2 0-0 3; Brewe,Quinn 0-2 2-2 2; Christensen,Jessie 0-1 1-2 1; Hermanson,Trisha 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 32-68 12-14 83.

Northwest Nazarene............ 28 22 - 50 
Seattle Pacific University.... 42 41 - 83 

3-point goals-Northwest Nazarene 3-11 (VanBrocklin,Whitney 1-1; Metz,Jessica 1-2; Pridgen,Danielle 1-2; Clark,Whitney 0-2; Shively,Erin 0-1; Clevenger,Jami 0-1; Gonzalez,Kara 0-2), Seattle Pacific University 7-16 (Wood,Mandy 2-5; Taylor,Amy 2-4; Christensen,Beth 1-1; Fielding,Autumn 1-3; Beaumont,Michelle 1-2; Strand,Rachel 0-1). Fouled out—Northwest Nazarene-None, Seattle Pacific University-None. Rebounds-Northwest Nazarene 42 (Metz,Jessica 13; Pridgen,Danielle 13), Seattle Pacific University 53 (Smith,Carli 10). Assists-Northwest Nazarene 12 (Schutte,Nicole 2; Lind,Trisha 2), Seattle Pacific University 22 (Taylor,Amy 9). Total fouls-Northwest Nazarene 15, Seattle Pacific University 18.