Complete Box Score

SEATTLE (Jan. 5) – Autumn Fielding and Jenny Poe scored 14 points each to lead Seattle Pacific to a 75-64 victory over Saint Martin’s in Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball action Thursday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons (2-1 GNAC, 8-4), ranked No. 25 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II poll, remained perfect at home in five tries this season. This also marked SPU’s 30th straight home victory and 62nd straight regular season home win. The Saints (0-2, 4-7) dropped their third straight game.

Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.) ignited a red-hot Falcon offense early in the game. She scored eight points in the opening 10 minutes to help SPU, which led wire to wire, jump out to a 23-6 lead midway through the first half. Poe, who also had six rebounds and three steals in the game, led all players with 12 points at halftime.

The Falcons extended their lead to 23 with just under five minutes to play in the half. Saint Martin’s cut the deficit back down to 19, but the Falcons got back-to-back three pointers from Jessie Menkens (Jr., 5-10, Battle Ground, Wa./Prairie) and Jackie Hollands (So., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) to pull ahead by 25, their largest lead of the night, at the break.

Hollands finished with eight points, and Menkens six in reserve roles. Fielding (Jr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) scored her 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench. She shot 4-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range. The trio combined for 7-of-14 shooting from behind the arc as Seattle Pacific’s bench outscored Saint Martin’s 48-7.

SPU held a 21-point lead with 14:21 left to play, but the Saints scored seven straight points to cut the deficit to 14. After the Falcons pulled back ahead by 18, Saint Martin’s scored three straight baskets to pull to within 12 with 6:52 remaining. The Falcons, however, responded with 10 unanswered points to go back up by 22 in the final five minutes, thwarting any hopes of a Saint Martin’s comeback.

Carli Grant (Sr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian) added 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the victory for SPU.

SMU’s Whitney Golob had 15 points, 11 rebounds and five steals in the loss. Lindsay Ford also poured in 15 points, along with four steals. The Falcons held GNAC leading scorer Beth Layton to 14 points, nearly six under her season average, on just 2-for-17 shooting, including 1-for-10 from three-point range.

The Saints shot just 22-for-74 (30 percent) from the field and 4-for-27 (15 percent) from behind the arc. The Falcons, who shot 53 percent overall and 46 percent from three-point range, finished at 44 percent overall and 36 percent from long range. SPU also made good on 13-of-15 (87 percent) free-throw attempts.

The Falcons committed 27 turnovers in the contest, 20 of them in the second half, as SMU rallied behind a pressuring defense. SPU forced 16 turnovers and had a 51-39 advantage in rebounds.

The Falcons host cross-city rival Seattle University in GNAC action Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC 75, SAINT MARTIN'S 64
SAINT MARTIN'S (0-2, 4-7) Golob,Whitney 5-9 5-7 15; Ford,Lindsay 6-14 0-0 15; Layton,Beth 2-17 9 11 14; Wick,Hilary 4-12 1-2 9; Kitzman,Ashley 3-9 1-2 7; Baker,Tanya 2-7 0-0 4; Nauert,Katee 0-0 0-0 0; Nilson,Sunny 0-1 0-0 0; Layton,Amy 0-4 0-0 0; Warner,Heather 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-74 16-22 64.
SEATTLE PACIFIC (2-1, 8-4) Poe,Jenny 4-9 5-5 14; Fielding,Autumn 4-8 3-4 14; Grant,Carli 4-7 5-6 13; Hollands,Jackie 3-7 0-0 8; Strand,Rachel 4-6 0-0 8; Menkens,Jessie 2-9 0-0 6; Wood,Mandy 3-8 0-0 6; Hill,Kelsey 3-4 0-0 6; Schaar,Lexi 0-1 0-0 0; Kroon,Brittney 0-1 0-0 0; Christensen,Beth 0-2 0-0 0; Christensen,Jessie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-62 13-15 75.

Saint Martin's................ 24 40 - 64 
Seattle Pacific............... 49 26 - 75

3-point goals-Saint Martin's 4-27 (Ford,Lindsay 3-9; Layton,Beth 1-10; Kitzman,Ashley 0-1; Baker,Tanya 0-3; Layton,Amy 0-2; Wick,Hilary 0-1; Golob,Whitney 0-1), Seattle Pacific 8-22 (Fielding,Autumn 3-3; Hollands,Jackie 2-6; Menkens,Jessie 2-5; Poe,Jenny 1-2; Christensen,Beth 0-2; Wood,Mandy 0-4). Fouled out--Saint Martin's-None, Seattle Pacific-None. Rebounds-Saint Martin's 39 (Baker,Tanya 11; Golob,Whitney 11), Seattle Pacific 51 (Hill,Kelsey 9). Assists-Saint Martin's 11 (Baker,Tanya 3), Seattle Pacific 24 (Christensen,Beth 6). Total fouls-Saint Martin's 11, Seattle Pacific 16. A-312.