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Gettin’ busy. Final exams now behind them, Seattle Pacific University ballplayers may now re-focus on hardwood happenings over the next three weeks before classes resume. Yet tests of another sort await, with the 6th-ranked Falcons facing three tough foes in the coming week. They visit perennial CCAA power Cal State San Bernardino (2-2) Tuesday night (Dec. 12), then move on to Las Vegas and the High Desert Classic Dec. 15-16. SPU is pitted against No. 5 and unbeaten Central Missouri (7-0) and No. 17 Rollins (4-2). The road trip and pre-Christmas activity concludes Dec. 20 at Utah’s Dixie State.

Vegas, again. Based upon the past couple weeks, Seattle Pacific plays Vegas more than the Blue Man Group. This is the second time around and the third and fourth games in the City of Lights this season, and it comes just before the SPU women’s team plays there Dec. 19-20. The Falcons are 11-5 at the McDermott Center on the UNLV campus, dating back to their first High Desert Classic in 1997-98. On Thanksgiving weekend, SPU split a pair of games, beating Cal State Dominguez Hills and sustaining its only loss, to UC San Diego.

Dustin the wind. On sheer numbers, it was a night for the record books. Still, it was when and how Dustin Bremerman (Sr., 6-4, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower) scored which made his performance against BYU Hawaii an evening to behold. Bremerman’s 43 points was a career high and ranks No. 3 all-time at the school, and his nine three-pointers ties the SPU record. Yet it was mostly a matter of timing. Fourteen of his points and four of his treys came in the final 62 seconds of regulation or in overtime, as the Falcons came from five points down to prevail, 98-93. Bremerman was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference player of the week following the big victory over the then-17th-ranked Seasiders.

Echols equals cool. As clutch as Bremerman was in his shots, perhaps no sequence was more nerve-racking than the final points of regulation. Fouled on a three-point attempt with two-tenths of a second remaining, Marques Echols (Jr., 6-2, Seattle, Wa./ Garfield-Peninsula) stepped to the foul line for three shots, and needed to make all of them to avoid a loss. Although BYUH called timeout before the second and third shots in a ploy to unnerve Echols, he calmly sank each. He had hit a pair of threes and scored nine first-half points, and finished with a season-high 16, plus six rebounds and five assists and only one turnover in 22 minutes off the bench. Altogether, he made 10 of his 11 free throws.

Sixth man cometh. Each of the Falcons’ regional championship teams in the last decade has featured a strong bench, including at least one double-digit scorer. Rob Diederichs (Fr., 6-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) fits that description quite nicely. A redshirt as a true freshman, Diederichs has gotten the immediate attention of opponents in his debut month. Somewhat reminiscent of Detlef Schrempf during his collegiate days at Washington, Diderichs can drive, dish or deliver the timely outside shot. He’s averaging 11.2 points, shooting 51 percent and is second on the team on both assists (3.0) and steals (1.2).

Lights out. Three years ago, Jeff Hironaka began installing elements of the Princeton offense in the SPU playbook, and that tactic continues to pay dividends. The teams has shot 50 percent from the field the past two seasons and is currently sinking shots at a 53-percent clip. Off-the-ball cuts, back screens and constant movements and adjustments make it a difficult scheme to execute and even more difficult to defend. Converting 52 percent against BYU Hawaii, it was the 23rd straight win in which SPU has hit 50 percent or higher.

Put-backs. Bremerman’s scoring total is one shy of the No. 2 mark of 44 points by David Clark in 1990-91. Loren Anderson holds the record of 54, set in ‘57-58. The nine treys was a feat first accomplished by Drake Hudgins in ‘99-00. Bremerman is now No. 6 in career scoring (1366), and needs 29 to pass Brannon Stone (1998-02)...It was the first overtime game since the 2004-05 season, and SPU has now won three extra-session games in a row...Burden by fouls, the inside tandem of center Rob Will (Jr., 6-10, Seattle, Wa./O’Dea) and forward JoJay Jackson (Jr., 6-5, Fairfield, Ca. /Vallejo-Solano JC) combined for only 10 points and seven rebounds versus BYUH. Jackson fouled out for a third time and Will had four personals...Turnovers have been the biggest problem over the last couple weeks, with a total of 54 in the last three games...Will remains No. 4 in career blocked shot list with 76...SPU is No. 2 in GNAC shooting (.525), shooting defense (.420), blocked shots (4.20) but next-to-last in turnover margin (-1.60). Bremerman moved up to No. 4 in scoring (19.6). Will leads the league in field-goal percentage (.703) and blocks (2.60). Drew Matzen (Sr., 6-4, Bothell, Wa./Lynnwood) is No. 4 (.525) in three-point accuracy. Brian Lynch (Sr., 6-1, Missoula, Mt./Great Falls) is No. 6 in assists (4.4)...Jared Moultrie (Sr., 6-2, West Point, Ut./Clearfield/Salt Lake CC) is scheduled to undergo knee surgery later this week. He sustained a torn ACL in the opening game...Tuesday’s game at San Bernardino will be webcast and Friday’s game with Central Missouri can also be heard live.

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.