Complete Weekly Release PDF Version

All Press Releases

The Madness begins. With its grip on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship once again, Seattle Pacific University is now hunting for bigger game. The Falcons (19-8) get their first taste of March Madness Friday (Mar. 9) against Sonoma State (14-12) in a first-round game. Top-seeded and No. 12-ranked UC San Diego (23-4) will host the West Regional in La Jolla. If SPU should advance, it may see a rematch of the last two regional championship games against 11th-ranked Chico State in Saturday’s (Mar. 10) first semifinal. Monday night (Mar. 12) is the title game. The Elite Eight begins Mar. 21 in Kearney, Neb.

Best of the West. Although its depth has been depleted by injuries, Seattle Pacific keeps plugging along. The Falcons have gone 13-4 since December, winning four of the last five, including two on the road. This is their 11th straight trip to the NCAA tournament and 12th overall. They have advanced to the regional championship game each of the last four years and seven of the last 10. SPU went to the Elite Eight in 1998, ‘04 and ‘05, when it was national runner-up. All three regional titles were won on the Falcons’ home floor.

Anybody’s guess. Recent form has proven that the No. 1 seed is far from a shoo-in for a regional crown. Seattle Pacific fell at home in the ‘03 title game and then beat Western Washington on its own floor in last year’s semifinal shocker. UC San Diego actually has a better record on the road (12-0) than at home (10-3). The Tritons, beaten by SPU in December, face Western (18-9) in Friday’s nightcap. Other first-round pairings are Chico State (22-4) and Cal State San Bernardino (17-10) at 2:30, followed by GNAC runner-up Alaska Anchorage (22-5) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (16-10) at 5.

Calling Jackie's number. Appropriately, she wears the number 3 jersey. And if her current shooting form continues for another week, Jackie Hollands (Jr., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) could be wearing a net around her neck next Monday. Hollands has been a house afire, averaging 20.3 points and shooting 77 percent in her last four games. She’s coming off a career-high 24 points to clinch the GNAC championship with a 59-55 win at Seattle University. Hollands tallied 40 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in two contests last week. She has led SPU in scoring in each of the last four games, hitting 69 percent (18-26) of her three-pointers.

Hill is a mountain. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Hollands stretches defenses with her long-distance shooting, and center Kelsey Hill (So., 6-2, Portland, Or./Portland Christian) punches holes inside. The first sophomore to pace SPU in scoring (11.9) and rebounding since 1991, Hill is a load. She was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection for ranking among the GNAC top 15 in five categories, including third in field-goal percentage (.514). She’s coming off her seventh double-double and a career-high 17 rebounds at Seattle U. Hill scored six points and Hollands five during a second-half run of 14 straight points.

They noticed. Julie van Beek has got a balanced, blue-collar team with seven players scoring 6.0 or more points per game. Although it’s a formula for winning, individual accolades are a hard sell. Still, Hill was not the only player getting opposing coaches’ attention. Hollands was voted to the second team and both Rachel Strand (Sr., 6-0, Shoreline, Wa./King’s) and point guard Beth Christensen (Jr., 5-5, Enumclaw, Wa.) received honorable mention. Hollands is the No. 2 scorer (10.9) and ranks seventh in the GNAC for steals (2.0), three-pointers made (1.9) and three-point accuracy (.370). Strand tops the conference in field-goal percentage (.558) and is 10th in rebounding (6.4). Christensen repeated as the league’s best playmaker, averaging 4.9 assists.

Whatever it takes. Unlike the freewheeling years of 2003-05, van Beek’s two squads have focused more on the defensive end by necessity. She lost four starters to graduation, including the nation’s premier shot-blocker, and yet SPU has held the line, allowing only 60.3 points per game. In the second half of the campaign the Falcons have begun flexing their offensive muscles. They hit a school-record 17 three-pointers in one outing and have shot 50 percent or higher from the field in six of the final 15 games. They adapted as a team, ranking fourth nationally in assists (19.1) and by cutting their turnovers by 3.2 per game since last year.

And smart. The Falcons had seven players–the most of any school–named academic all-GNAC. Strand (Exercise Science, Sr., 3.39, Shoreline, Wa./King's) made it for a third year in a row. She’s an exercise science major with 3.39 grade point average. Autumn Fielding (Psychology, Sr., 3.74, Kennewick, Wa.) and Christensen (Physical education, 3.57) were repeat selections. Hollands (Psychology, 3.49), Lexi Schaar (European studies, So., 3.35, Crookston, Minn.), Jessie Menkens (Communications, Sr., 3.30, Battle Ground, Wa.) and Jessie Christensen (Physical education, Jr., 3.27, Enumclaw, Wa.) were all first-timers.

Put-backs. Six of Seattle Pacific’s losses were to NCAA tournament teams, including Div. I Gonzaga and Div. I-bound North Dakota, the No. 3 team in Div. II currently. The Falcons are 18-11 all-time in NCAA tournament play, having advanced past the first round in each of the past four seasons and in eight of their 11 previous trips…The West Region tournament is being hosted outside of Washington for the first time in five years. SPU hosted from 2003-05...…Hollands (24), Hill (14) and Strand (15) combined for 52 of SPU’s 59 points vs. Seattle U...Christensen is second in GNAC assists-to-turnover ratio (1.75)…Strand is fourth in blocked shots (1.0)...Seattle Pacific was second in the GNAC in scoring (70.1) and third in scoring defense (60.3). The Falcons led the league in assists (19.11) and assists-to-turnover ratio (1.2), and were second in shooting (.426) and turnover margin (plus-3.9)...SPU is 17-1 when ahead or tied at halftime and 13-2 when out-rebounding opponents...Fielding missed the loss at Northwest Nazarene with a sprained foot but was back in action at SU...At Nampa, the Falcons rallied from 15 down in the second half to tie the score on a Libby Magnuson (Jr., 5-10, White Bear Lake, Mn.) jumper with 20 seconds to go in regulation. The Crusaders held on, getting two free throws with 1 second left...Magnuson started twice last week in place of Fielding...The Falcons have lost three players for the season, including centers Melissa Reich (Fr., 6-2, Bothell, Wa./Bellevue Christian) and Lexi Schaar (So., 6-4, Crookston, Mn.)..Live stats are available for all regional games at http://www.ucsdtritons.com/liveStats...The eight losses are the most since 1998-99 (19-10).

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.