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A relative lull. It’s been a hectic holiday pace, but now Seattle Pacific University hits a relative lull in its men’s basketball season, playing only once over a 16-day span. And that game is Saturday night (Dec. 2), when the 4th-ranked Falcons (3-1) host undefeated and No. 17 BYU Hawaii (5-0) in the final home game prior to Christmas. SPU takes a break from play during final exams, then resurfaces Dec. 12 at Cal State San Bernardino.

Good to be home. After splitting a pair of Thanksgiving weekend games in Las Vegas, Seattle Pacific is anxious to prove its invincibility at home. The Falcons have won 13 consecutive non-conference games at Brougham over three seasons, and had little trouble in posting a couple wins there to open the regular season. Over those 13 straight wins, the average margin has been 15.0 points. Overall, SPU has won 28 of its last 30 home games.

Hot & cold. Generally, Jeff Hironaka’s teams shoot very well. They have won 22 games in a row when hitting at least 50 percent from the field. But in the Vegas opener, the rims appeared to have lids, and guess what happened. The offense hit a nine-year production low in the 62-52 loss to UC San Diego. Seattle Pacific shot just 37 percent (19-51) from the field, including 3 of 18 three-pointers. It was the lowest point total since the 1997-98 season and first non-conference regional loss in 12 games. It was a short-lived cold snap, however. The next day the Falcons were sinking 63 percent of their shots, including 13 of 23 threes, in an 84-65 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Quick draw Drew. Nobody possessed a hotter hand than Drew Matzen (Sr., 6-4, Bothell, Wa./Lynnwood). Connecting on all five of his hoists from beyond the arc, Matzen scored a career-high 21 points. He set the tone early on, hitting a pair of treys as SPU quickly pushed in front and ended up 8 of 10 from the floor. Matzen averaged only 7.0 points as a junior, but his 19 points in the NCAA semifinal may have been an awakening of his promise. He’s now averaging 13.8 through the first four games.

Pieces fitting together. Hironaka harbored no doubts about his team’s talent or depth, but chemistry was in question. Hopefully the production of Matzen, the maturation of point guard Brian Lynch (Sr., 6-1, Missoula, Mt./Great Falls) and the play of newcomers JoJay Jackson (Jr., 6-5, Fairfield, Ca. /Vallejo-Solano JC) and Rob Diederichs (Fr., 6-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) are proof that players are accepting and excelling in their roles. Diederichs, a redshirt freshman, has provided a big lift off the bench, averaging 10.0 points in only 16.3 minutes. Jackson has led the squad in rebounding (17 boards last week) and is shooting 47 percent on threes. Lynch, now the starting playmaker, threw for nine assists and had only two turnovers last week.

Movin’ on up. With complimentary threats evolving on offense, it may mean more open looks for Dustin Bremerman (Sr., 6-4, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower). Although he was emblematic of the shooting woes versus UC San Diego (going 1-for-9), Bremerman set that day aside and was back on target against Dominguez Hills. He pumped in 23 points, highlighted by two three-pointers which repelled a Toros rally shortly before halftime. Another of his long-distance darts all but sealed the deal, giving SPU a 23-point lead with 7:10 to go. His 28 points for the week moved him to No. 7 in career scoring. Now with a total of 1323 points, he needs six more to reach No. 6.

Now, the bad news. In many ways, he has been the team’s emotional leader since his arrival prior to last season. His statistics have not done justice to his contributions, especially as a defensive stopper. So when it was known that point guard Jared Moultrie (Sr., 6-2, West Point, Ut./Clearfield/Salt Lake CC) was done for the season, it was a substantial blow for the team. Moultrie sustained a torn ACL in the first regular season game. It is unknown whether he will seek a medical hardship to return next season. Lynch has replaced Moultrie as the starter, with Marques Echols (Jr., 6-2, Seattle, Wa./ Garfield-Peninsula) now the back up at both guard positions.

Look inside. When everything’s clicking on offense, just about everyone gets a good look at the basket, yet the best bet for the passer earning an assist is getting the ball inside to center Rob Will (Jr., 6-10, Seattle, Wa./O’Dea). When all else failed versus UCSD, Will was converting 6 of 8 shots and scoring 17 points. When the perimeter players were in good form the next day, Will obliged them by moving the rock. He finished with nine points, eight rebounds and seven assists. For the season, he’s shooting 74 percent and his 14.5 points leads the squad.

Put-backs. Three of the next four games are against ranked teams. SPU faces No. 5 Rollins (Fl.) and No. 7 Central Missouri Dec. 15-16 in Las Vegas...Matzen’s 5-for-5 three-point shooting is second only to the record-setting 6-for-6 by Sergio Gomes in in 1989-90. Matzen was 6-10 on threes for the week...Will is now No. 4 on the career blocked shot list with 76...Following this weekend, the next home game is Dec. 29 against Cheyney in the first round of the Oak Harbor Freightlines Holiday Classic...Proving their win was no fluke, UC San Diego also beat No. 2-ranked Montevallo last week...One area of concern last week was the 34 turnovers–10 more than the first two games...It’s early but SPU is No. 2 in GNAC scoring defense (66.2), shooting defense (.400). Will leads the league in field-goal percentage and blocks (3.3) and Matzen (.611) in three-point accuracy...Bremerman, Lynch and Jackson all exited with five fouls vs. UCSD...Three of the the four opponents have been held to 40 percent shooting or lower...Hironaka used seven players for the majority of minutes, with only Echols and Diederichs seeing more than 10 minutes of duty off the bench.

SPU Coaches. In his first season Jeff Hironaka won more games (16) than all but one other first-year SPU coach, and he took a team to the NCAA tournament in only his third year–faster than any predecessor. Hironaka broke new ground again in 2006, as his team reached the Final Four, winning both GNAC and regional titles, and he was voted the West Region Coach of the Year. His record entering this season is 76-39.

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.