Dan Lepse, SID 206.281.2772 voice | 206.281.2266 fax | [email protected] | www.spufalcons.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE • December 1, 2008 Men’s Basketball Seattle Pacific Men Conclude Five-Game Road Trip 2008-09 Schedule & Results (3-2, 0-0 GNAC) Falcons visit Pueblo, Colorado for two Chuck Stephens Classic games Nov. 6 at California (exhibition) 70–91 Chuck Stephens Classic • Massari Arena • Pueblo, Colo. Nov. 8 at Stanford (exhibition) 56–97 Friday, Dec. 5 -- Seattle Pacific vs. Regis, 3:00 p.m. PST (4 p.m. MST) Nov. 14 at Saint Mary’s, Calif. (exhibition) 55–86 Saturday, Dec. 6 -- Seattle Pacific at Colorado State-Pueblo, 7:00 p.m. PST (8 p.m. MST) • Sodexo Tip-Off Classic (Brougham Pavilion) • Nov. 21 University of Mary W 87–48 The longest road stretch of the season concludes this weekend for Seattle Pacific (3-2), Nov. 22 #20 Cal State San Bernardino W 2ot 104–94 which visits Pueblo, Colo. to play two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams at the Nov. 25 at Southern Utah W 75–65 Chuck Stephens Classic. The Falcons meet Regis University (1-3), Friday, Dec. 5. Tip-off • Otter Classic (Seaside, Ca.) • is 3 p.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. Mountain) at Massari Arena. SPU completes its five-game Nov. 28 at Cal State Monterey Bay L 65–68 road trip, Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. PST (8 p.m. MST) against host Colorado State-Pueblo Nov. 29 vs. San Francisco State L 65–70 (2-3). The Falcons lost their last two games after opening the season with three wins • Chuck Stephens Classic (Pueblo, Colo.) • during a grueling five-games-in-nine-days span. The SPU men return home next week to Dec. 5 vs. Regis 3:00 pm play Saint Leo on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at Colorado State-Pueblo 7:00 pm Follow The Action: LiveStats of SPU’s games in Colorado are available via the CSU-Pueblo Dec. 13 Saint Leo 2:00 pm website (www.gothunderwolves.com) at: http://csup.freehostia.com/stats/xlive.htm Dec. 16 at Oregon State 7:00 pm Projected Starters: Seattle Pacific Falcons (3–2, 0-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference) • High Desert Classic (Las Vegas, Nev.) • Pos.-No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Yr. Hometown (# Assists) Points Rebs. Dec. 19 vs. North Alabama 4:45 pm F — 33 Rob Diederichs 6-8 200 Jr. Shoreline, Wash. 12.8 5.8 Dec. 20 vs. Central Missouri State 2:00 pm F — 21 Casey Reed 6-5 200 Sr. Canby, Ore. 13.0 5.0 Jan. 8 * Saint Martin’s 7:30 pm C — 34 Rafael Moreira 6-9 240 Jr. Brasilia, Brazil 6.8 4.2 Jan. 10 * Montana State Billings 2:00 pm G — 22 Brandon Larrieu 6-0 170 Jr. Puyallup, Wash. 11.8 2.6 Jan. 15 * at Central Washington 7:00 pm G — 11 Chris Banchero 6-1 180 So. Seattle, Wash. 16.2 # 4.4 Jan. 17 * at Western Washington 7:00 pm Jan. 21 * Northwest Nazarene 7:00 pm Tournament Tested: This weekend’s Chuck Stephens Classic is the third of four tournaments Jan. 29 * at Western Oregon 7:00 pm in which the Falcons are participating. SPU swept two games at its own Sodexo Tip-Off Jan. 31 * Central Washington (Homecoming) 3:30 pm Classic and dropped two last week at the Otter Classic in Seaside, Calif. The Falcons final Feb. 5 * at Alaska Fairbanks 8:00 pm regular-season tournament is the High Desert Classic, Dec. 19-20 in Las Vegas. Feb. 7 * at Alaska Anchorage 8:00 pm Feb. 12 * Western Oregon 7:30 pm Regular Season Reprieve: The regular season seems like a respite from a rigorous Feb. 14 * at Northwest Nazarene 1:00 pm exhibition schedule for Seattle Pacific, which lost three non-counting games in the Bay Feb. 19 * Alaska Anchorage 7:30 pm Area against NCAA Division I opponents California (91-70), Stanford (97-56) and Saint Feb. 21 * Alaska Fairbanks 7:30 pm The Falcons, who won 75-65 at Southern Utah on Nov. 25, have one Mary’s (86-55). Feb. 25 * at Montana State Billings 6:00 pm more encounter with a Division I competitor. They pay a Dec. 16 visit to Corvallis to play Feb. 28 * at Saint Martin’s 7:00 pm Oregon State, their third Pac-10 opponent. Mar. 5 * Western Washington 7:00 pm Special Upset: Seattle Pacific registered its first regular-season victory in 22 years over an * GNAC game All times listed are Pacific Time NCAA Division I opponent with a 75-65 upset of Southern Utah on Nov. 25 in Cedar City. The Falcons last regular-season win over a Division I foe was an 80-66 decision against Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coaches Poll Eastern Washington on Jan. 28, 1987. A 76-68 win over Murray State on Nov. 11, 2006 was (Oct. 28, 2008) 2008 Record a counting game for the Racers, but was classified as an exhibition contest for SPU. Team (1st-place votes) Points (GNAC) Road Warrior: Sophomore guard Chris Banchero (Seattle, Wash./O’Dea) topped every 1. Central Washington (7) 86 21-7 (15-3) SPU scorer in all three road games last week, averaging 18.7 points on 72-percent shooting 2. Western Washington (2) 61 15-12 (8-10) (23-of-32). He tallied 20 points at Southern Utah (Nov. 25), 15 at Cal State Monterey Bay 3. Alaska Anchorage 58 29-6 (16-2) (Nov. 28) and 21 vs. San Francisco State (Nov. 29). Banchero leads SPU with 16.2 ppg. 4. Seattle Pacific 53 21-8 (12-6) 5. Northwest Nazarene 50 17-10 (9-9) Super Shooters: Five players are shooting 50 percent or better for the Falcons, who are 6. Saint Martin’s 40 13-14 (8-10) hitting shots at a 54.5-percent clip. SPU shot higher than 50 percent in all five games this 7. Western Oregon 29 15-12 (8-10) season, topped by a 60-percent effort at Southern Utah (Nov. 25). Casey Reed paces the 8. Montana State Billings 22 1-28 (1-17) squad at 68.2 percent, followed by Chris Banchero (65.3%) and Rafael Moreira (65.2%). 9. Alaska Fairbanks 17 5-22 (2-16) Jeff Downs is the leading 3-point threat in both total treys (17) and accuracy (48.6%). Seattle Pacific Men’s Basketball (Dec. 1, 2008) Page 2-2 Scouting Regis (1-3): By the Numbers > A member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Regis University is located The number of returning starters from last in Denver, Colorado. 1 season’s 21-8 team (Rob Diederichs). > The Rangers defeated Colorado College 80-55 before losing their last two games, 70-66 vs. Newman and 83-73 vs. Northwest Nazarene. There is only one Japanese-American head > Senior Gabriel Green is one of two returning starters for Regis, which had a 14-13 1 coach at a four-year school, Seattle Pacific’s record last season. Green led the team with 102 assists in 2008 and converted 90.3 Jeff Hironaka. percent (56-of-62) of his free throw attempts. > The Rangers won the only previous meeting with SPU, a 73-66 decision on Feb. 11, The Falcons have won three Great Northwest 1987 in Denver. Athletic Conference championships since the 3 Seventh-year Falcons mentor Jeff Hironaka has never coached against Regis. league was formed in 2001-02. SPU won > conference titles in 2002, 2006 and 2007. Scouting Colorado State-Pueblo (2-3): A member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Thunderwolves posted Current streak of consecutive NCAA Tourna- > 4 ment appearances for the Falcons. a 69-66 overtime win over Oklahoma State-Panhandle in their last outing. > Colorado State had a 10-17 record last year led by second-team all-conference That’s how many NCAA Division I opponents guard Rome Smith’s 13.1 points per game. Smith leads the team again this season, 5 appear on this year’s SPU schedule, including scoring at a 16.8-point clip. exhbition games at California, Stanford and > Saturday marks the first ever meeting between CSU-Pueblo and the Falcons. Saint Mary’s along with regular-season visits > In his seventh season at SPU, Jeff Hironaka has never coached against the to Southern Utah and Oregon State. Thunderwolves. The number of players on the 15-man SPU Ticket Talk: Season tickets for SPU men’s basketball games are still available. They can 9 roster from high schools in the state of be obtained by calling 206-281-2085. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for Washington. Also the number of players special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 at least 72 hours in advance. who have never worn the maroon & white Season Preview: The Seattle Pacific men’s basketball team begins its seventh season of SPU prior to this season. under Coach Jeff Hironaka, who directed them to berths in the last four NCAA Tourna- ments. SPU posted a 21-8 record last season, placing third in the Great Northwest Athletic Number of points scored against Wash- Conference with a 12-6 mark. Four senior starters have departed from that team, leaving 36ington in a Nov. 5, 2007 exhibition game a 15-man roster in which nine of the student-athletes have never played a game in an by Rob Diederichs, who hit 15-of-23 shots SPU uniform. The lone returning starter is 6-foot-8 forward Rob Diederichs (Shoreline, at Bank of America Arena.