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Welcome rest. After a daunting and difficult non-league schedule and a quick start to the New Year, the Seattle Pacific University women’s basketball team has a couple extra days of needed rest before taking its unblemished Great Northwest Athletic Conference record back to the hardwood. The Falcons (2-0, 8-4) will be coming off a seven-day layoff before their next contest, Saturday (Jan. 13) against Saint Martin’s (1-1, 5-8) in Brougham Pavilion. It will mark the start of a three-game homestand, which continues Jan. 18 when SPU hosts Alaska Anchorage.

Early games matter. Although the conference schedule has barely begun, Coach Julie van Beek knows just how important these next handful of games are. Six of the next seven are at home, including a final non-conference date. The Falcons have won 61 of their last 63 home GNAC contests and may need to maintain that level of dominance to stay in the running for the league title. Following this stretch of home activity, six of the final eight regular season games are on the road.

It takes a village. It’s been a frequent topic, but no coach or team ever gets tired of showcasing great depth. And Seattle Pacific’s ability to share the ball and have a variety of players contribute has been uncanny. No single player is among the GNAC’s top 15 in scoring, and yet the team is tied for first place. In last week’s 61-57 victory at Western Oregon, Autumn Fielding (Sr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) and Jessie Menkens (Sr., 5-10, Battle Ground, Wa./Prairie) shared top honors with 13 points apiece. Menkens became the seventh player to lead the team in scoring through 12 games. For the season, only center Kelsey Hill (So., 6-2, Portland, Or./Portland Christian) is averaging double figures (10.1 ppg), although five more players are between 7.0 and 9.0 points per game.

Shouldering the load. While the Falcons’ front line has been decimated by injuries, Hill has remained a constant. Despite the opposition’s ability to focus on her as SPU’s lone true low-post threat, Hill has responded to the challenge. She led the Falcons in scoring and rebounding last week with combined totals of 24 and 21, respectively. That included an 18-point, 10-rebound performance in a key, 71-62 comeback victory over Central Washington, a preseason favorite. Hill converted a very efficient 10 of 14 shots from the field. Over the past seven games she has averaged 11.4 points and 8.6 rebounds, posting all three of her double-doubles. Hill has led the team in scoring in five games and in rebounds six times. Both are team bests.

Not to be overlooked. Perhaps somewhat overshadowed by Hill’s performances has been the steady play of Rachel Strand (Sr., 6-0, Shoreline, Wa./King’s), the high post. Strand and Hill have complimented each other extremely well, both with the ability to stretch their games beyond the key. Strand was pivotal in the victory over Central with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Additionally, she has stepped up as one of the team’s top sharpshooters, connecting on a team-best 39 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Strand also leads the team in overall shooting at 49 percent. Behind the play of Hill and Strand, the Falcons outscored the Wildcats 44-14 in the paint.

The road so far. The Falcons knew a difficult pre-league schedule would have them well prepared for conference play and reaching the postseason for the 11th straight year. And while they own an identical record to this point last season, it’s been a rough road at times. Graduation created four openings in the starting lineup. In addition, Van Beek has lost two of her top three post players and the coach herself has been hobbled by a torn Achilles tendon. Still, they have managed to persevere. Of the four losses, two came at the hands of current top-10 teams (North Dakota and Chico State) and another was to Gonzaga, currently leading the Div. I West Coast Conference.

Put-backs. The first NCAA regional rankings are still two weeks away…Seattle Pacific’s bench–led by Jackie Hollands’ (Jr., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) 11 points against Central Washington and Jessie Menkens’ (Sr., 5-10, Battle Ground, Wa./Prairie) 13 points at Western Oregon–has outscored its opponents in all 12 games this season. Menkens tied Autumn Fielding (Sr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) for team-high honors in Monmouth…Feared for its up-tempo shoot-out style just two years ago, SPU ranks just eighth in the GNAC in scoring (65.2), but is one of the league’s top defenses, allowing just 60.2 points per game. Hill ranks 19th in the league with 10.1 points per game. She is also sixth in rebounding (7.5) and 11th in field-goal percentage (.470)…As a team, Seattle Pacific is shooting .768 from the foul line, second in the GNAC and 13th in the NCAA…Strand is eighth in rebounding (7.2) and ninth in field-goal percentage (.488). Point guard Beth Christensen (Jr., 5-5, Enumclaw, Wa.) ranks second in assists (4.1)...Hill is now tied for second in the GNAC with three double-doubles. Strand has two...The Falcons’ three Div. II losses have been to teams with a combined record of 31-9.

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.