Fortune teller. If an ability to win on the road is a leading indicator of how far Seattle Pacific University will advance in next month’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, then this week’s venture to Alaska could prove to be a fortune teller for the 17th-ranked Falcons (9-3, 17-5). Tied atop the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, they first visit fellow postseason contender Alaska Fairbanks (9-4, 15-7) Thursday night (Feb. 17) before moving on to Alaska Anchorage (4-9, 10-12) Saturday night (Feb. 19). SPU plays its final two home gams next week against Humboldt State and Western Oregon.

Muddy waters. The conference race could scarcely be any tighter going into the final three weeks, with Seattle Pacific, Western Washington and Alaska Fairbanks all tied with nine wins in league play. The Nanooks, the preseason pick to claim the GNAC crown, face must-win situations vs. both the Falcons and Vikings since their final three games are on the road. Furthermore, the West Region is just as jammed. Hawaii Hilo and SPU were running 1-2 a week ago but both suffered road losses. Hilo, with two games remaining, is now idle until Feb. 22. Eight teams from the West will earn postseason berths and the region’s top seed can host the regional tournament beginning March 11.

Wait just a second. Exactly what’s with the water in the SPU locker room? At halftime the guys drink it and suddenly become supermen in the second half. And if the difference is the water, orange slices or sports drink of choice, Coach Jeff Hironaka is no doubt wondering why it can’t be delivered before game time. The Falcons have out-scored the opposition in the second half of 13 consecutive games and by an average margin of 10.8 points. True to form last week, they were raring to go following the intermission and out-scored Western Washington 51-30 in the final period. Trouble was, the Vikings had led by 25 at the break, resulting in a 91-87 outcome. In all five losses this season, Seattle Pacific has been behind by at least five at halftime with the average margin 15.4 points. Cold shooting has marred some of those starts but most telling statistic has been on the hustle board, with SPU out-rebounded by an average of 8.2 in those first halves.

Frontline challenge. The answer to the first-period problems is probably as much mental as anything. After all, the Falcons have the ability, evidenced by their highest win total in three seasons and the fact that they have few peers when it comes to playing the final 20 minutes. But in each loss the frontline has struggled at both ends of the court at the outset. Alaska Fairbanks will certainly be focused on defending inside after center Jason Chivers (Sr., 6-8, Los Angeles, Ca./Highland-L.A. Trade Tech) erupted for a career-high 33 points in the first meeting. Forward Dustin Bremerman (So., 6-4, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower) has totaled 50 points in his last two games against the Nanooks. Bremerman scored 14 of his 18 points and Chad Williams (Jr., 6-8, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Edison-Whatcom CC) had nine of his 13 in the second half at Bellingham. Chivers, after being poked in the eye and then cut on the face and missing 10 minutes as a result, finished with 14 rebounds and 12 points.

Making a point. It’s been awhile since an SPU point guard exhibited such scoring instincts as Tony Binetti (Jr., 6-1, Enumclaw, Wa.). Under Hironaka and Ken Bone before him, point men were charged with the primary duties of passing and protecting the ball and playing defense. Scoring was a ways down the list. But Binetti seems to now come by it naturally. He moves the ball and leads the team in assists (4.7), but when the rock lands in his hands he is quick to see an opportunity for himself. Hitting over 60 percent of his shots and 52 percent of his three-pointers, he his now the No. 2 season scorer, averaging 14.3, including 16.3 in league play. He popped for 19 at Western and helped fuel the furious second-half rally. The last point guard to average over 13 points was Ritchie McKay (14.0 in 1986-87).

Put-backs. Seattle Pacific has averted back-to-back losses this season...Binetti has scored in double figures for 13 consecutive games...Chivers now has nine double-doubles to rank second in the conference...Jordan Lee (Sr., 6-1, Tacoma, Wa./Life Christian), who was the team’s top scorer through the first half of the season, has not scored in double figures the past three games...Last week’s loss was the first in which SPU has scored at least 80 points. It is now 10-1 in such games. When opponents score more than 80 points the record is 2-4...In the last seven games the Falcons have shot 82.1 percent (115-140) at the foul line...Seattle Pacific has made over 50 percent of its field goals in 14 of its 17 wins this season and is 24-4 when doing so over the past two seasons...The Falcons are No. 1 in the conference and fifth nationally in field-goal percentage (.511). They also lead the league and are 20th nationally in free throw accuracy (.746) and are No. 2 in defensive overall field goal percentage (.429 and defensive three-point percentage (.314). They are No. 3 in three-point shooting percentage (.390) and scoring (83.5). Individually, Binetti leads the conference in three-point shooting (.516, 33 of 64). He is also No. 2 in overall field-goal percentage (.605), No. 3 in assists (4.7) and No. 9 in foul shooting (.828)...Bremerman is No. 1 GNAC in free throw percentage (.885) and seventh in the NCAA...Chivers is No. 2 in rebounding (10.2, 13th nationally), No. 4 in blocks (1.09) and No. 6 in shooting (.567) and No. 7 in scoring (16.0)...Lee is seventh in three-point accuracy (.466).

Coaching Staff. In his first season Jeff Hironaka won more games (16) than all but one other first-year SPU coach. A former aide at Idaho State and The Master’s, Hironaka became Ken Bone’s top assistant in 1991 and from there the Falcons won 236 of 253 games, claimed five outright or shared conference championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament eight times, including a Final Four advancement in 2000. Hironaka is the second Japanese-American head coach of a four-year collegiate program. Brock Veltri is Hironaka’s chief assistant. Veltri spent two years in a similar position with Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. A former Idaho State graduate assistant, he played two years at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Wa. Scott Reid, a King Co coach of the year at Bellevue’s Newport High School, is in his second season and George Parker, who first served as a volunteer assistant in 1986, returns for his 16th year.

Tickets, please. Reserved tickets for all SPU home games are priced $7 and $6. General admission is $5 with youth, students and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Groups can qualify for discounts 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.