Senior wing Jeff Downs scored 19 points, getting 17 of those during the second half, and junior wing Jake Anderson added a career-high 17 - all during the first half - helping Seattle Pacific fend off Saint Martin's for a 74-71 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons (7-3, 1-1 GNAC) got back on the winning track after dropping their conference opener to Western Oregon on Thursday, 88-85.
Downs' total included a four-point play with 12:54 left in the game. He buried a 3-pointer from the left of the lane, was knocked down on the play, and converted the ensuing free throw for a 58-48 lead - SPU's biggest of the game - with 12:54 left.
But Saint Martin's (9-5, 2-2 GNAC) climbed back in, finally tying it at 68-68 when Roger O'Neill hit a jumper from the foul line with 3:35 left.
With the Falcons up 72-71 inside the final minute, senior point guard Chris Banchero had the ball out high, drove to the right side, stopped just to the right of the foul line and drained a jumper with 34.4 seconds left.
Saint Martin's, after a time-out with 13.3 seconds left, got off a last-second shot, but it was a desperation fling by Galen Squiers from way beyond the 3-point arc to the right of the lane, and it flew over the rim.
In SPU women's action, Melissa Reich scored a career-high 20 points - the first 20-point performance by any Seattle Pacific player this season - and Maddie Maloney posted a double-double of 11 points and a career-high 10 assists - leading the Falcons to an 80-64 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory against Alaska Fairbanks in Brougham Pavilion.
Senior center Reich (Bothell, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) surpassed her previous career high of 15 points, which she set against Hawaii Pacific in the first round of the NCAA West Regionals last March 12.
Senior guard Maloney (Issaquah, Wash./Skyline HS) logged the first double-double of her career. Her 10 assists exceeded her previous best of eight, set on Dec. 28, 2009, at UC San Diego.[[In-content Ad]]
