Complete Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wa. (Dec. 10) – The Falcons were held to under 40 percent shooting for the first time this season and 17 points below their scoring average as Sonoma State upset nationally ranked Seattle Pacific 65-61 Saturday night in the final day of the California Collegiate Athletic Association/Great Northwest Athletic Conference Challenge at Western Washington’s Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The Falcons (4-2), ranked No. 3 in the Women’s Basketball Association Coaches Poll, lost its second straight game and finished the tournament with an 0-2 record. Sonoma State (5-2) finished the tourney 1-1 after losing to host Western Washington last night.

The Seawolves got a three-point basket from Nichola Hester with 8:56 left in the game to capture the lead for good and one from Genny Anderson with 4:05 remaining on the front and end of a 12-3 run to turn a Seattle Pacific 43-42 lead into a Sonoma 54-46 advantage.

The Falcons pulled back to within two with nine seconds left in the game on a three-point basket by Mandy Wood (Sr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.), but Natalia Worth hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to seal the victory for SSU.

Wood finished with 14 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals in the loss for the Falcons. Jenny Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.) led SPU with 15 points, three rebounds and three steals. Brittney Kroon (Sr., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) added eight points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

SPU’s Autumn Fielding (Jr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) twice gave the Falcons their largest lead of the game, five points, with back-to-back jumpers midway through the first half. Following the latter of the two, the Seawolves responded with eight straight points, including a pair of threes, to pull ahead by three with 9:53 left in the half.

The Falcons responded with six unanswered points to capture a three-point lead, but Sonoma grabbed a three-point lead at the half.

Hester led all scorers with 16 points in the win. Natalia Worth added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Falcons pulled ahead by three, 38-35, with 16:39 left in the game, but Sonoma scored seven straight to take a four-point lead. The Falcons bounced back and went up by one on a Jackie Hollands (So., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) three pointer with 11:08 remaining, but Hester’s third triple of the game gave the Seawolves the lead for good.

SPU shot 39.7 percent, its first game under 40 percent and nearly five percentage points below its season average. It was also a season low in scoring for the Falcons, who average 78 points a game. Their previous low was 76 in last night’s overtime loss to 11th-ranked Chico State. SPU also shot just 17 percent (4-24) from three-point range, while Sonoma shot 54 percent (7-13).

The Falcons take on Westmont in a non-conference game next Saturday (Dec. 17) at 5:30 p.m.

SONOMA STATE CA 65, SEATTLE PACIFIC 61
SONOMA STATE CA (5-2) Hester,Nichola 6-9 1-1 16; Worth,Natalia 5-8 4-4 15; Jennings,Jessica 5-10 1-2 13; Mertle,Heidi 3-5 4-4 10; Anderson,Genny 2-6 0-1 5; Armacost,Chelsey 1-3 0-1 2; Riberdy,Renee 1-6 0-1 2; Redfield,Lauren 0 3 2-2 2; Cargill,Mallorie 0-0 0-0 0; Lombardi,Janelle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-51 12-16 65.
SEATTLE PACIFIC (4-2) Poe,Jenny 6-10 3-4 15; Wood,Mandy 6-14 0-0 14; Fielding,Autumn 3-6 2-2 9; Kroon,Brittney 4-8 0-0 8; Grant,Carli 3-8 1-1 7; Hollands,Jackie 1-3 1-2 4; Strand,Rachel 1-2 0-1 2; Hill,Kelsey 1-3 0-0 2; Menkens,Jessie 0-4 0-0 0; Christensen,Jessie 0-0 0-0 0; Christensen,Beth 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 25-63 7-10 61.

Sonoma State CA............... 31 34 - 65 
Seattle Pacific............... 28 33 - 61

3-point goals-Sonoma State CA 7-13 (Hester,Nichola 3-3; Jennings,Jessica 2-4; Worth,Natalia 1-2; Anderson,Genny 1-2; Redfield,Lauren 0-1; Lombardi,Janelle 0-1), Seattle Pacific 4-24 (Wood,Mandy 2-10; Hollands,Jackie 1-3; Fielding,Autumn 1-4; Strand,Rachel 0-1; Menkens,Jessie 0-3; Christensen,Beth 0-2; Poe,Jenny 0-1). Fouled out--Sonoma State CA-None, Seattle Pacific-None. Rebounds Sonoma State CA 33 (Anderson,Genny 8), Seattle Pacific 37 (Kroon,Brittney 8). Assists-Sonoma State CA 15 (Worth,Natalia 5), Seattle Pacific 15 (Wood,Mandy 6). Total fouls-Sonoma State CA 13, Seattle Pacific 20. A-160.