Jan. 15, 2005
Box Score
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Nationally ranked Western Washington University suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season, falling 76-68 to Seattle Pacific University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game Saturday at Royal Brougham Pavilion.
The Vikings, ranked No.14 in the NABC/NCAA Division II National Poll and No.1 in the West Region, fell to 11-3 overall and 3-2 in the GNAC with their second straight loss and their third in the last six games after an 8-0 start. Forward Grant Dykstra (Jr., Everson/Lynden Christian) led Western with 16 points and forward Craig Roosendaal (Sr., Shoreline/King's) added 15.
Seattle Pacific improved to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in the GNAC with its 10th win in the last 11 games. Guard Tony Binetti and forward Dustin Bremerman each had 18 points for the Falcons.
Despite hitting just four of its first 19 shots from the floor in the second half, Western was down just one, 57-56, after a Roosendaal 3-pointer with 6:44 to go. But the Falcons went on a 10-1 run, with forward Chad Williams scoring the last eight points, to take a 67-57 lead with 3:39 to play. The Vikings pulled to within four, 70-66, on another Roosendaal trey with 1:09 left, but got no closer.
The Vikings, who had scored 100 points in each of their last three games, shot just 32.4 percent (22-of-68) from the field, and the 68 points were their lowest output this season. Western entered the contest ranked sixth nationally in NCAA II in offense, averaging 91.7 points a game, and shooting 50.1 percent from the field.
There were eight lead changes in the first 8:28 of the first half before Western used a 9-3 run to go ahead by six points, 24-18, with nine minutes left, the biggest lead by either team in the period. Guard Ryan Diggs (Jr., Victorville, CA/Silverado), who had missed the last three games with a hairline fracture in his shooting hand, returned to action and scored four points during that run. The Vikings did not trail the rest of the half, holding a slim 38-37 lead at the intermission.
Diggs finished with 12 points, and forward Tyler Amaya (Jr., Mount Vernon) added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Western returns home for league counters with No.13-ranked University of Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday (7 p.m.) and University of Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m.).
