First-half climax. Although it is only the first half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play coming to a close this week, one game in particular could have a major impact on the final women’s basketball conference standings. No. 2-ranked Seattle Pacific University (7-0 GNAC, 15-1) travels to Bellingham Thursday (Jan. 27) for a heavyweight bout with 17th-ranked Western Washington (7-0, 15-1) in a battle of the league’s two remaining undefeated teams. The Falcons, also ranked first in the West Region of NCAA Division II, have won 13 straight games and seek their 50th consecutive GNAC victory. The Vikings come into the game ranked third in the region and have won 15 straight overall. SPU wraps up the first half of league play at Seattle University (2-5, 7-9) Saturday (Jan. 29).

Creating separation. While Seattle Pacific hasn’t waltzed to its past two GNAC crowns, the last few weeks of conference play during those title runs weren’t nail-biters either. It won the league by five games last year and by three the year before, finishing undefeated both seasons. With the Falcons’ 79-60 victory over Central Washington last week, the Falcons are now a perfect 7-0 this season, but there are still plenty of teams in the chase. Seattle Pacific has a chance to create some separation from the rest of the pack when it faces the league’s only other undefeated team in Western Washington. SPU has won 49 straight conference games and 75 of its last 76 during regular season play Incidentally, the last conference loss occurred in Bellingham nearly three years ago, on Feb. 7, 2002.

SPU showcases depth. The Seattle Pacific depth chart continues to seem unfathomable. No matter who Coach Gordy Presnell decides to put on the floor, the wheels of the program continue to roll. Last week, Quinn Brewe (Fr., 6-1, Edmonds, Wa./Meadowdale) provided the big spark off the bench, matching her early season form. At Ellensburg, Brewe matched the scoring output of Central Washington’s entire bench, providing the Falcons with 12 points and nine rebounds in just 18 minutes of action. Those were the highest point and rebound totals for Brewe since the opening game of the season when she put up 12 points and 11 rebounds against Warner Pacific. Last year’s state 4A player of the year, Brewe missed five games early on after suffering a concussion, and just recently began finding the form which earned her a starting spot in preseason.

Low post punch. Brewe has become a great complement to the starting frontcourt, particularly the low post tandem of center Brittney Kroon (6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) and forward Carli Smith (5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian). While SPU ranks 12th nationally in three-pointers made and 11th in accuracy, the Falcons have benefitted from establishing the inside game. In last week’s win, the trio of Brewe, Kroon and Smith combined for 35 points and 20 rebounds on 65 percent (13-20) shooting. Over the past six games, Kroon and Smith have combined for 23.3 points, 17 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting over 62 percent from the field. Smith leads the league in both rebounding (9.4) and field-goal percentage (.584). Kroon, who led the nation in blocked shots last season and owns every school record in that category, leads the conference and is fifth nationally in blocks (3.8). She also ranks second in the GNAC in field-goal percentage (.577) and 10th in rebounding (7.1)

Missing in action. What’s missing in most upset bids by opponents is their shots. The Falcons’s sizzle may be their prolific offense but their meat and potatoes is defense. They have held seven teams to 50 or fewer points and just three have broken 70. Seattle Pacific leads the GNAC in scoring defense (58.8) defensive field-goal percentage (.345), three-point percentage defense (.275) and, thanks to Kroon, blocks (5.81). How they do it is pressure. Every shot SPU makes puts pressure on the other team. Beyond that, the players hound and chase and deny passes until the shot clock winds down to zero. During the 49-game conference win streak, only four opponents have managed to shoot better than 42 percent, and just one managed 50 percent.

Put-backs. SPU moved up one spot in the national rankings for the second week in a row to achieve their highest poll position since ending the ‘03-04 regular season at No. 1. Drury (Mo.), which knocked the Falcons out of the Elite Eight, remains No. 1 this week...Mandy Wood (Jr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa) has led the Falcons in scoring in each of the past three games after missing two with a knee injury. She scored 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from behind the arc, matching her season-high for three-pointers made for the fifth time this season, in the victory over Central Washington. Wood leads the Falcons and ranks 13th in the GNAC with 13.6 points per game. She also ranks third in three-point accuracy (.448), fourth in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.53), fifth in assists (4.14) and three pointers made (2.14), seventh in field-goal percentage (.500) and 23rd in steals (1.43)...Smith has scored in double figures each of the last four games...Point guard Amy Taylor (Sr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) had eight points and five assists in the win. She leads the GNAC with a 2.0 assists-to-turnover-ratio and is third with 4.5 assists per game. Taylor also ranks fourth in three pointers made (2.19), seventh in three-point percentage (.372), 15th in steals (1.63) and 20th in scoring (11.8)...SPU continues to dominate the GNAC in nearly every statistical category. The Falcons are first in scoring (81.8), scoring defense (58.8), scoring margin (23.0), field-goal percentage (.471), field-goal percentage defense (.345), three-point percentage (.384), three-point defense (.275), three pointers made (7.38), rebounding (44.4), rebounding margin (9.8), assists (21.06), assists-to-turnover ratio (1.13) and blocks (5.81). Nationally, SPU ranks sixth in field-goal percentage, fifth in scoring margin, sixth in scoring margin, eighth in three-point percentage, and 10th in three pointers made and free-throw percentage. Wood is ninth in three-point shooting percentage.

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.