NCAA Women's Basketball West Region Championship Tournament Quarterfinals:
SPU Women Beat UCSD 79-59, Play Rival Western Washington Next
March 12, 2004

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Complete Box Score

SEATTLE (March 12) ­ Kristin Poe scored 18 points as top-seeded Seattle Pacific University beat eighth-seed UC San Diego 79-59 in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional at Brougham Pavilion on Friday night.

SPU's Kristin Poe (#31) prepares to shoot a free-throw in Falcons' 79-59 win over UC San Diego. Seattle Pacifc will play rival Western Washington next.(Photo courtesy Dan Carver, SPU athletics

Additional Game Photos

The Falcons (28-0), who finished the regular season atop the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and ranked No. 1 in the nation with a perfect 27-0 overall record, never trailed as they advanced to face No. 4 seed Western Washington in the semi-final round at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.) was one of four Falcons in double figures as Mandy Wood (So., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.) had 16 points, Michelle Beaumont (Jr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) scored 11 and Amy Taylor (Jr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood-Oregon) added 10 points and seven assists. Brittney Kroon (So., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) pulled down 12 rebounds, tying her career-high, and also blocked five shots for SPU.

The Tritons (15-13) were within nine at the half (39-31) before Seattle Pacific went on a 15-4 run to extend its lead to 54-35 with 12:58 to go. The closest UC San Diego could get was 15 as the Falcons cruised the rest of the way.

SPU shot 45 percent from the field, including 10-for-21 (.476) from three-point range. Wood was a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc and Beaumont made 3-of-6 threes. The Falcons held UCSD to just 27 percent (17-of-63) shooting, but were outrebounded 49-39.

The Falcons had a season-low seven turnovers while forcing 16 Triton miscues. SPU’s bench outscored UCSD, 25-12.

The teams were locked at 9-9 with 15:51 to play in the first half before SPU went on a 17-3 run to take a 26-12 lead with 9:11 remaining. UC San Diego held the Falcons scoreless for the last three minutes of the half to pull within 39-31 at halftime.

Leora Jester led the Tritons with 12 points while Stacy Gallagher-Bolton grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Margaret Johnson scored 11 points and Ali Ginn added 10 for UCSD.

In the first game of the day, third-seeded Cal Poly Pomona downed sixth-seeded Chico State 74-70 behind the 30 points of Candice Allen. The Broncos advanced to play No. 2 seed Cal State Bakersfield, which easily defeated No. 7 seed Grand Canyon, 86-61. Katie McElree led the Roadrunners, the defending regional champions, with 22 points.

In the third game of the first round, fourth-seeded Western Washington beat No. 5 seed Sonoma State 85-71 and will face SPU on Saturday. The Falcons have won five of the last six meetings with the Vikings, including four in a row.

Seattle Pacific 79, UC San Diego 59
UC San Diego - Juster 3-6 6-6 12; Johnson 4-9 3-3 11; Ginn 4-11 1-2 10; Herold 3-12 0-0 9; Gallagher-Bolton 0-6 5-6 5; Hansen 1-5 2-2 5; McGann 1-3 1-3 3; Anderson 0-2 2-2 2; Buffum 1-4 0-0 2; Phillips 0-5 0-1 0. Totals 17-63 20-25 59.
Seattle Pacific – K. Poe 7-13 2-4 18; Wood 6-10 0-0 16; Beaumont 4-8 0-0 11; Taylor 4-9 1-2 10; Kroon 2-6 5-6 9; Gustafson 3-7 0-0 6; Hermanson 3-7 0-0 6; Smith 1-2 0-0 2; J. Poe 0-2 1-5 1; Strand 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-66 9-17 79.

UC San Diego.....    31 28 - 59 
Seattle Pacific....  39 40 - 79

3-point goals- UCSD 5-18 (Herold 3-9; Hansen 1-1; Ginn 1-4; Anderson 0-1; Buffum 0-3), SPU 10-21 (Wood 4-4; Beaumont 3-6; K. Poe 2-4; Taylor 1-4; Strand 0-1; Hermanson 0-2). Fouled out —None. Rebounds- UCSD 49 (Gallagher-Bolton 13), SPU 39 (Kroon 12). Assists - UCSD 14 (Herold 3; Juster 3; Gallagher-Bolton 3), SPU 25 (Taylor 7). Total fouls -UCSD 14, SPU 21. A-1200