New coaches and injuries haven't stopped Seattle Pacific University men's and women's basketball teams from climbing to the top of their conferences.
With an overall 18-3 record, and 9-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), the men's team holds the first place seed in the region and the women are in second, with a record of 17-3 and 8-1 in conference. With just three weeks left of league play before the regional tournament, men's coach Ryan Looney is focused on keeping the team's momentum up.
"We're definitely playing well, but I don't think we've reached our potential yet," Looney said. "I'm hoping as a group we can find a way to get there before post-season starts."
In his first year at SPU, Looney had expected transition difficulties with the team but he said the team didn't take any steps backward, which played into its success this season. The men bumped their winning record to 18 against Alaska Anchorage last Thursday with an 89-69 victory. The Falcons will have to defend their No. 1 spot against Northwest rival and No. 2 seed, Western Washington University tomorrow, Feb. 18 inside the Brougham Pavilion at 7 p.m.
"We're excited for it. Every time when SPU and Western Washington compete, there's always something on the line," Looney said. "It's not just a rivalry game. It's two of the top teams battling for positions in the region."
In their first meeting, the Falcons beat WWU 73-66. However, WWU is one of the three teams that defeated the women this season.
"As long as we continue to work on things we need to make us better as a team, when we get to Western Washington we will be ready to step up," said women's head coach Julie van Beek. "If we don't...we're not going to be ready. The competition is among ourselves and we have to find a way everyday to say we're better today than we were yesterday."
The women lost their second post player, senior Syndey Benson, in practice last week to a torn ACL, after already losing a post player in the beginning of the season due to injury.
"We were really peaking last week and then we lost Sydney," van Beek said. "That changes things. We still have potential that's unmet, but we'll have to find ways to do things differently."
Losing two post players might change up the game strategy, but van Beek expects the team's defense to stay strong. It's the shooting percentage van Beek wants to see improve.
"We haven't shot as well as I know we can," van Beek said. "I think we have one of the best defenses. This time of year, you have to continue to play smart. The margin of error is slim, especially in post-season play."
The Falcons face WWU Feb. 20 in Brougham Pavilion at 7 p.m. for another chance to outgame their rivals.[[In-content Ad]]
