Tourney time. After opening the women’s basketball season with a resounding win, Seattle Pacific University is gearing up for tournament play. Not the postseason variety, where the nets are cut down at the conclusion. The Sodexho Tip-Off Classic is more a celebration of a return to the hardwood after an eight-month absence. The Falcons (1-0), ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division II preseason poll, take some impressive streaks into Friday night’s (Nov. 18) first round game with Biola. The tournament concludes Saturday evening (Nov. 19) against Minnesota State Moorhead. After that, it’s two weeks until the resumption of play, at home Dec. 3 against Lewis-Clark State.

Home court advantage. Beating SPU on its home court has been a tall, tall order over the past four seasons. In fact, none of the current players has known anything but victories at Brougham Pavilion during the regular season. The Falcons have won 32 straight overall and 61 in a row during regular season play, dating back to 2000-01. A year ago, Seattle Pacific was 16-0 at home and won by an average margin of 26.4 points. The margin was 33 points in the regular season opener against Northwest. In the last two tip-off tournaments, the average margin was 29.0 points.

Running on all cylinders. Under new head coach Julie van Beek, the Falcons still showcase a run-and-gun style of offense. SPU ranked 15th nationally in scoring last season (78.0) and topped that by 17 points in its 95-62 win over Northwest University. Solid rebounding led to quick outlet passes and a 24-6 advantage in fast-break points. The defense produced 28 points off 25 Eagles turnovers.

Depth is key. A wealth of depth has allowed Seattle Pacific to maintain an up-tempo style of play during its recent run of success. The combined record of 90-5 over three-plus seasons is a testimony to the fact that the Falcons are at least 10 deep, and seem to come after opponents in waves. On opening night, 11 players logged 11 or more minutes and everyone scored.

Balanced attack. It’s been four years since a Falcon averaged more than 16.0 points per game, and yet they’ve won three Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships and made two trips to the Elite Eight. That’s the beauty of a balanced offense. Under van Beek, the balance will remain but the focus will be on going to the post for points. That was evident against Northwest. Power forward Carli Grant (Sr., 5-10, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) and center Kelsey Hill (Fr., 6-2, Portland, Or./Portland Christian)–filling in for an ill Brittney Kroon (Sr., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.)–each scored 16 points. Guard Mandy Wood (Sr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.), the top returning scorer, matched their totals, hitting a couple three-pointers and 5-7 field goals altogether. Grant was 6-7 and hauled down six of her 14 rebounds from the offensive glass. Hill grabbed 10 boards and made two blocks.

Role playing. Wood started at point guard versus both Northwest and Gonzaga, the latter being the sole preseason exhibition. It was a slight departure from her role as the shooting guard the past three seasons, although she often would run the offense in the absence of Amy Taylor. Beth Christensen (So., 5-5, Enumclaw, Wa.) played 20 minutes at the point. Together, Wood and Christensen dished 15 assists in the two outings. Jessie Menkens (Jr., Battle Ground, Wa./Prairie) opened at the shooting guard and totaled 20 points. Jenny Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.) rounded out the starting five on the wing.

New blood. Van Beek enjoyed a productive week, notching her first victory at SPU and signing three recruits to national letters of intent for next season. Point guard Daesha Henderson of Snohomish High School, Central Kitsap forward Megan Hoisington and Bellevue Christian center Melissa Reich were early signees. The 5-foot-9 Henderson averaged 11.6 points as a junior, when the Panthers advanced to the Washington 4A championship game and went 25-2. She was the team MVP and second team all-Wesco North when Snohomish finished sixth in the 2004 state tournament. Hoisington, the Cougars’ leader in scoring (14.5), rebounding (8.8) and blocked shots (1.1) as a junior, is the daughter of Greg Hoisington, who played at SPU from 1977-82. Megan was voted first team all-Narrows League last season when Central Kitsap was 20-6 and qualified for the state 4A tournament. Reich, a 6-1 senior, averaged 15.1 points and 14 rebounds last season in leading the Vikings to a 20-5 record and a state 1A tournament berth. She is the daughter of Mark Reich, a Seattle Pacific center from 1977-79.

Put-backs. The absence of a Thanksgiving tournament leaves SPU with its longest layoff since an 18-day break over Christmas of 2003. To compensate, the Falcons will play eight games next month, including five between Dec. 9-21...After trailing Gonzaga by one at halftime, SPU pulled even on a bucket by Poe with 17 minutes left to play. However, the Bulldogs responded with 13 unanswered points over the next five minutes and the Falcons ran out of gas in an 86-61 loss to the defending WCC champions. Poe led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds...Newcomer Jackie Hollands (So., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.), a transfer from Washington, led the reserves vs. Northwest with 10 points in just 14 minutes...Autumn Fielding (Jr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) added seven points and established a career high with six assists...Lexi Schaar (Fr., 6-4, Crookston, Mn.) made her debut following a redshirt season with five points vs. NU...The Falcons won their season opener for the seventh straight year.

Coaching Staff. Julie van Beek is in her first year as the Falcons’ head coach after building Nashville’s Trevecca Nazarene into an NAIA national power. After starting the program from scratch, van Beek’s last six squads reached the playoffs, including a national quarterfinal appearance in 2005. In nine years at the helm her record was 162-119. She is a native of Nampa, Id., and played at Northwest Nazarene. Michelle Skyles is the top assistant, having moved from a similar position at Eastern Washington. Skyles coached Jerome to the Idaho state 4A title in 2004. Sasha Anderson joins the staff following five years as head coach at Snohomish County Christian.

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 is $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.