Bigger than most. If current form should hold true, the West Region’s game of the year will be played this weekend in Brougham Pavilion. But first things first for the No. 4-ranked Seattle Pacific University women’s basketball team. The Falcons (13-1, 21-2) face crosstown rival Seattle University (4-11, 9-15) in the next-to-last home game Thursday (Feb. 24). Should they prevail, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship and top seeding in the West could be decided in Saturday’s (Feb. 26) collision with No. 13 Western Washington (13-2, 21-3). The final week of the regular season sends SPU north to Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage.

Stakes are huge. If Seattle Pacific plans to make another home appearance in March, a couple victories this week would go a long way in that direction. The Falcons hold a slim, one-game lead over Western Washington in the GNAC standings and the Vikings were also No. 2 in last week’s regional poll. The top seed in the West will have the opportunity to host the first three rounds of the NCAA Division II regional tournament, Mar. 11-14. SPU has hosted the regional three times previously and twice parlayed that home-court advantage to reach the Elite Eight. As for the conference crown, it is seeking its third in a row. Two victories this week would clinch that objective.

Home cookin’. Beating the Falcons is a difficult enough proposition. Their record is 80-4 over the last three seasons. Winning in the pavilion has proven downright impossible for regular season visitors over that span. On its home court, Seattle Pacific has won 26 in a row overall, 41 straight GNAC contests and 55 consecutive regular season games. Central Washington was the last league foe to survive a visit, that being Jan. 18, 2001. During the 26-game home streak the average winning margin has been a robust 24.6 points.

Honoring the Seniors

Judging Amy. Saturday is Senior Night, yet one of the outgoing graduates is doing all she can to ensure the she and her teammates return to the pavilion for an encore. Amy Taylor (Sr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) is coming down the stretch at a veritable sprint, averaging 18.8 points and shooting 50 percent in her last four games. In the 87-77 home win over Central Washington last week it was Taylor who put the Falcons finally over the top in the final eight minutes. She scored eight points and passed for a couple assists during a 15-5 run to put her team ahead by 14. For the game she connected on five of six three-pointers, and has now canned nine of 11 in the last two contests, each time matching her career high with 21 points. Taylor is the team’s top scorer (13.2) and is second in GNAC shooting from beyond the arc.

Blonde has more fun. Taylor’s not the only player pushing the pedal to the metal this days. The blonde, powerful power forward Carli Smith (Jr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) also hit her second career high in as many games against Central. Smith was almost automatic when looking to score down low, finishing 10 of her 13 attempts and totaling 22 points and nine rebounds. In the last two games she has 41 points, 19 boards and has shot 17-25. She continues to pace the conference in both rebounding and shooting percentage.

Smooth move. It was not her wish, but Michelle Beaumont (Sr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) has certainly made the most of her new role off the bench. A splendid sharpshooter throughout the course of her career, Beaumont has caught fire since Coach Gordy Presnell installed her as the designated scorer off the bench, averaging 10.6 points and hitting 10 of 19 treys in those five games. In her last six outings as a starter she had averaged 5.7 points. Now just 14 points shy of reaching 1000 for her career, Beaumont will he honored prior to Saturday’s game along with fellow seniors Taylor and reserve guard Trisha Hermanson (Sr., 5-6, Buckley, Wa./White River).

Put-backs. This week’s regional rankings figure to be unchanged at the top, with No. 2 Western Washington and No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills winning twice. The Toros have won seven in a row and now lead the CCAA by two games with four to play...The 77 points scored by Central was the most by a pavilion visitor since Cal State Bakersfield won the 2003 regional title, 85-80...SPU has shot 50 percent or higher in four of the last five games and is 19-36 outside the arc in the last two home games...Following a six-year low of 50 points at Saint Martin’s the Falcons have not scored fewer than 42 in their last four halves...In GNAC individual statistics, Brittney Kroon (Jr., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) leads in blocked shots (3.52) and shooting accuracy (.579). Smith is the leader in rebounding (9.7) and second in field-goal accuracy (.560). Taylor is No. 2 in three-point shooting (.414), fifth in assists (3.87) and 10th in steals (1.74). Mandy Wood (Jr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.) is third in three-point shooting (.379) and sixth in assists (3.86). Beaumont is No. 4 in three-point accuracy (.368)...Seattle Pacific leads the GNAC in scoring (80.0), scoring margin (21.6), field-goal percentage (.462), free-throw percentage (.773), field-goal percentage defense (.349), three-point percentage (.381), rebound margin (10.3), and blocked shots (5.39). The Falcons are second in points allowed (58.5) and three-point percentage defense (.272). Nationally, SPU ranks No. 5 in rebounding margin, No. 6 in free-throw percentage and three-point percentage, No. 7 in scoring margin, 11th in scoring and field-goal percentage defense, and 15th in field-goal percentage. Kroon is No. 7 in blocked shots and Taylor is 18th in three-point 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.