Complete Box Score

SEATTLE (Mar. 2) – Courtney Clapp had a game-high 25 points to lead visiting Western Washington to a 78-54 conference title-clinching victory over Seattle Pacific in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game Thursday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Vikings (17-0 GNAC, 25-1), who are ranked No. 7 in NCAA II and have won 19 straight games, took command early with a 21-5 run to open the game and never looked back as they clinched their second title in the five-year history of the league. Seattle Pacific (15-2 GNAC, 21-5), which suffered its first loss in 2006 after 14 straight wins, had won the previous three.

Brittney Kroon (Sr., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) was the only SPU player to score in double figures. She had 12 points and five assists as the Falcons suffered their worst loss since the quarterfinal round of the NCAA II tournament in 1998 and their worst home loss in 13 seasons.

The Falcons lost at home for the first time in 37 contests. The loss also snapped SPU’s streak of 50 home GNAC wins and 68 regular season home victories.

The Falcons rebounded from Western’s red-hot start, answering with a 10-2 run, and kept the deficit to single digits (eight points) at halftime. The Vikings opened the second half with three pointers from Clapp and Kelly Dykstra to build a 16-point cushion.

Seattle Pacific’s defense clamped down midway through the second half, and provided the Falcons with an opportunity to get back into the game. SPU trailed by 18 with 14:05 left but made several stops and limited the Vikes to just five points over the next eight minutes.

The Falcons, however, only mustered nine points themselves and never got back to within single digits. The Vikings fired back with nine unanswered points to increase their lead to 23 points with five minutes left, thwarting any hopes of a Seattle Pacific comeback.

Clapp shot 10-for-17 from the field to lead four Vikings in double figures. Dykstra added 13 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Tina Donohue chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a game-high three steals.

The Vikings forced 22 turnovers while coughing the ball up just 10 times.

Jenny Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.) finished with nine points, eight rebounds and six assists in the loss, her first at home in her three-year SPU career. Mandy Wood (Sr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.) was held to nine points, all in the first half, after scoring at least 20 in each of the past three games.

Western’s Claire Pallansch led all reserves with 12 points in 15 minutes off the bench.

Seattle Pacific shot 50 percent in the first half, but finished at just 42 percent for the game. The Vikings shot 48 percent from the field. The Falcons held a slight 36-31 advantage in rebounds.

Despite the loss, the Falcons will make their 10th straight postseason appearance when the NCAA II tournament tips off next Friday. Currently, SPU holds the No. 5 spot in the West region. Western, which sits at No. 2, hopes tonight’s win might give the Vikings a chance to climb to No. 1 and earn the right to host the regional tournament.

The NCAA selection will be streamed live on the web beginning at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at ncaasports.com.

The Falcons wrap up regular season play against Central Washington in GNAC action Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

WESTERN WASHINGTON 78, SEATTLE PACIFIC 54
WESTERN WASHINGTON (17-0, 25-1) Clapp,Courtney 10-17 4-5 25; Dykstra,Kelly 3-4 4-4 13; Pallansch,Claire 5-7 2-4 12; Donahue,Tina 5-12 0-0 11; Stelmack,Mollie 3-8 2-2 9; Hubbard,Samantha 3-7 0-0 8; Cabe,Willow 0-1 0-0 0; McCarrell,Liz 0-3 0-0 0; Hartman,Elyse 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-60 12-15 78.
SEATTLE PACIFIC (15-2, 21-5) Kroon,Brittney 6-8 0-0 12; Poe,Jenny 4-11 1-2 9; Wood,Mandy 3-11 0-0 9; Hill,Kelsey 3-4 1-4 7; Christensen,Beth 3-5 0-2 6; Grant,Carli 1-5 2-2 4; Fielding,Autumn 1-3 2-2 4; Hollands,Jackie 1-4 0-0 3; Strand,Rachel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-52 6-12 54.

Western Washington............ 38 40 - 78 
Seattle Pacific............... 30 24 - 54

3-point goals-Western Washington 8-25 (Dykstra,Kelly 3-4; Hubbard,Samantha 2-3; Clapp,Courtney 1-4; Donahue,Tina 1-4; Stelmack,Mollie 1-5; Cabe,Willow 0-1; McCarrell,Liz 0-3; Hartman,Elyse 0-1), Seattle Pacific 4-16 (Wood,Mandy 3-10; Hollands,Jackie 1-3; Christensen,Beth 0-1; Poe,Jenny 0-2). Fouled out--Western Washington-None, Seattle Pacific-None. Rebounds-Western Washington 31 (Donahue,Tina 7), Seattle Pacific 36 (Grant,Carli 8; Poe,Jenny 8). Assists-Western Washington 24 (Dykstra,Kelly 7), Seattle Pacific 18 (Poe,Jenny 6). Total fouls-Western Washington 14, Seattle Pacific 13. A-584.