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South after Central. Getting there was one thing. The next order of business for Seattle Pacific University is to hold on to that precious possession of first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball standings. A rejuvenated Central Washington (5-4, 10-10) poses the first threat as the 22nd-ranked Falcons (7-3, 14-7) seek to complete their three-game home stand Thursday night (Feb. 8) with their 14th straight victory at Brougham Pavilion. The scene shifts to Western Oregon (2-7, 7-13) Saturday night (Feb. 10). Next week’s activity is relatively light, with just a single game at Saint Martin’s Feb. 17.

West gets wild. After the dust settled this past weekend, the pecking order in the West region of NCAA Division II was anybody’s guess. Frontrunners Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona (twice) fell on the road, the former at Humboldt State, last week’s No. 3 team in the rankings. SPU surely leapfrogged Seattle University for No. 4 or higher after beating the Redhawks handily in their last outing. Eight teams will qualify for the regional tournament, Mar. 9-12. The GNAC and CCAA champions earn automatic berths.

Getting offensive. After yielding an average of 86.0 points in the previous four games, last week the Falcons were no doubt told to re-focus themselves on the defensive end by Coach Jeff Hironaka. And while statistically they improved, that fact was greatly overshadowed by the offensive onslaught. Seattle Pacific has scored 92.3 points in the last three games and has averaged 98.5 points in its last four wins. It now leads the GNAC in scoring (80.8), including 86.5 in league games. Whether by brute force or backdoor cuts, Hironaka’s offense has generated 45.0 points per game in the paint over the last four outings.

Pick a poison. Glancing at the season statistics, it would be plausible for opposing coaches to concentrate their scouting defensive reports on stopping the top two SPU scorers, Dustin Bremerman (Sr., 6-4, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower) and Rob Will (Jr., 6-10, Seattle, Wa./O’Dea). Bremerman averages 18.2 points and Will, with a late rush, is up to 13.7. But the offense is becoming more and more unpredictable. Six players scored 11 or more points in the 98-74 defeat of Seattle U., and with Bremerman patrolling the perimeter (46 treys) and Will posting down low, there is no easy solution. The team is shooting 50 percent from the field and has topped 64 percent in three of the last six games. The Falcons are 9-0 when shooting at least 50 percent from the field this season and have won 28 in a row going back three seasons.

Will power. A rare blend of size and skill, Will has come on strong since the start of conference play. His peak performance came against Northwest Nazarene as the big center erupted for a season-high 24 points on 10 of 14 shooting. He added another 19 against SU on near-perfect, 6-7 marksmanship to earn co-player of the week honors in the GNAC. His 43 points came during a highly-efficient 46 minutes. He also sank 11 of 12 free throws. Will’s now averaging 13.7 for the season, 15.9 in the GNAC where he’s shooting 59 percent.

Reed to succeed. Will’s alter-ego in the middle is inflicting his own damage. Casey Reed (So., 6-5, Canby, Or./Canby-Navy) is an active, athletic player who gets people’s attention with his jams and shot-blocking. But he’s also attuned to the offense and unselfish (five assists last week). He is averaging over 14 minutes in the last seven games, scoring in double figures three times. Reed had a season-best 12 points and had three steals versus NNU, and had 11 (5-6 FGs) and three blocks against SU. The bench played a huge role in both games, outscoring their counterparts 65-31.

No. 2 in sight. Before the Falcons leave town Friday, Bremerman is likely to become the No. 2 career scorer. Currently with 1651 points, Bremerman needs just five more points to surpass Jeff McBroom (1655). Loren Anderson (1954-58), the only player to have his jersey retired (No. 5), is seemingly untouchable as the record-holder at 1941. Bremerman added 30 points to his total last week.

Put-backs. Seattle Pacific rejoined the national rankings for the first time since Dec. 12, when they reached No. 4. Humboldt State is No. 11 and Cal State San Bernardino is 17th. Two of the SPU losses were to currently ranked Central Missouri (No. 5) and Rollins (No. 18)...The Falcons are 36-2 at home over the last three seasons and are the only remaining GNAC team unbeaten at home. Central Washington was the last team to win in the pavilion, that on Senior Night last season...SPU is shooting 53 percent from the field at home, with both Will and Bremerman converting at a 59-percent clip...The homecoming win was the 17th in a row...SPU is now 0-5 when opposing teams shoot over 50 percent...Will now has 103 career blocked shots. He needs one more to become No. 3 on the career chart. He leads the GNAC, averaging 1.9 per game, and is fifth in shooting (.563) and seventh in rebounding (6.3)...Bremerman is fifth in league scoring (18.2) and free throw accuracy (.897), and ranks 10th nationally in the latter...Marques Echols (Jr., 6-2, Seattle, Wa./ Garfield-Peninsula CC), who had 13 points and four assists vs. Seattle U., is No. 5 in GNAC three-point accuracy (.462)...Drew Matzen (Sr., 6-4, Lynnwood, Wa./Bothell) scored 15 points, hitting 3 of 4 threes vs. SU...The six turnovers against NNU was a season low...The Falcons are No. 2 in GNAC shooting (.500/20th in the NCAA) and No. 3 from beyond the arc (.386). They are shooting 52 percent in league games and a plus-3.4 in rebounds...Rob Diederichs (Fr., 6-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) snatched a season-high nine rebounds vs. NNU and contributed a total of 16 points last week...Bremerman has now scored at least 13 points in each of his last 15 games.

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.