Complete Box Score

LACEY, Wa. (Feb. 8) – Better known for her distribution of the ball, Seattle Pacific point guard Beth Christensen buried a three-pointer as time expired to lift the Falcons from apparent defeat to a 68-66 victory over upset-minded Saint Martin’s in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at SMU Pavilion.

The host Saints (1-9 GNAC, 5-16) pulled ahead by one on a jumper by Amber Harmon with three seconds left in the game. The Falcons (8-1 GNAC, 15-5), however, called a timeout and then got the ball up ahead to Christensen (Jr., 5-5, Enumclaw, Wa.), who got the shot off before the buzzer to lift SPU to its eighth victory in the past nine games.

It was the first three pointer of the game on three attempts for Christensen, who finished with nine points, four rebounds and seven assists. She scored the final two baskets of the game for the Falcons and assisted on the two previous SPU scores. Autumn Fielding (Sr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.) poured in a game-high 19 to help lead the Falcons to victory. Jackie Hollands (Jr., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) added 11 points, four assists and three steals

The game was tied 12 times, and there were 18 lead changes, 13 of them in the second half alone. The Falcons built an eight-point lead, the largest for either team, with just under six minutes left in the first half. But the Saints fired back with 10 straight points to capture the lead with two minutes left in the half, and it was anybody’s game the rest of the way.

Harmon had 12 points and three rebounds in the loss. Jamey Gelhar paced the Saints with 14 points, and Whitney Golob and Jessi Reome each scored 10.

Kelsey Hill (So., 6-2, Portland, Or.[/Portland Christian) had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Falcons.

The Falcons held the Saints to 27 points, but scored just 27 points themselves on 39 percent shooting. The shot 48 percent in the second half, however, to finish at 44 percent for the game. SPU also forced 24 turnovers.

The Falcons travel to Ellensburg to take on Central Washington in GNAC action Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC 68, SAINT MARTIN'S 66
SEATTLE PACIFIC (15-5, GNAC 8-1) Fielding,Autumn 8-12 0-0 19; Hollands,Jackie 3-11 3-4 11; Christensen,Beth 4-7 0-0 9; Magnuson,Libby 3-4 2-2 8; Hill,Kelsey 3-11 2-2 8; Strand,Rachel 3-3 0-2 6; Henderson,Daesha 1-2 0-0 3; Menkens,Jessie 1-6 0-0 2; Christensen,Jessie 0-3 2-4 2. Totals 26-59 9-14 68.
SAINT MARTIN'S (5-16, GNAC 1-9) Gelhar,Jamey 4-7 4-4 14; Harmon,Amber 3-9 5-6 12; Golob,Whitney 5-8 0-0 10; Reome,Jessi 4-6 0-0 10; Ludeman,Kassie 3-7 1-2 7; Smith,Sade 3-5 0-0 6; Busch,Megan 1-3 0-0 3; Jerome,Necia 1-2 0-0 2; Bassett,Krissy 0-1 2-2 2; Lindquist,Breanne 0-2 0-0 0; Schang,Destiny 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 12-14 66.

Seattle Pacific............... 27 41 - 68 
Saint Martin's................ 27 39 - 66

Halftime-SPU 27, SMU 27. 3-point goals-Seattle Pacific 7-22 (Fielding,Autumn 3-5; Hollands,Jackie 2-6; Henderson,Daesha 1-2; Christensen,Beth 1-3; Menkens,Jessie 0-5; Magnuson,Libby 0-1), Saint Martin's 6-14 (Reome,Jessi 2-3; Gelhar,Jamey 2-2; Busch,Megan 1-3; Harmon,Amber 1-2; Lindquist,Breanne 0-1; Schang,Destiny 0-1; Ludeman,Kassie 0-2). Fouled out--Seattle Pacific-Magnuson,Libby, Saint Martin's-None. Rebounds-Seattle Pacific 28 (Hill,Kelsey 10), Saint Martin's 33 (Reome,Jessi 6). Assists-Seattle Pacific 20 (Christensen,Beth 7), Saint Martin's 18 (Golob,Whitney 4; Ludeman,Kassie 4). Total fouls-Seattle Pacific 17, Saint Martin's 12. A-392.