Falcons fans recently voted on the top team highlights for SPU sports during 2011. The results are being presented this week and today we feature the No. 1 Seattle Pacific sports event of the year:

• Highlight #5  |  • Highlight #4  |  • Highlight #3  |  • Highlight #2


October 27, 2011

      • Boxscore & Play-by-Play (html)   |   • Final Statistics (pdf)

By Danny Martinez, Arizona Media Relations
 
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Newcomer Jobi Wall scored 24 points, including the go-ahead layup for NCAA Division II Seattle Pacific, which upset 16th-ranked Arizona 69-68 in an exhibition men's basketball game Thursday in McKale Center.

The win was the third straight for the Falcons against a Division I opponent. SPU defeated Eastern Washington (87-82) and Nevada (84-81) in road exhibitions last season. This was the Falcons first win in 34 all-time meetings against Pac-12 teams.

"We don't want this to be the defining moment of our season. We're still zero and zero," said third-year SPU coach Ryan Looney. "Obviously, we gained a bunch of confidence tonight. Our goal was to be a better team at the end of the 40 minutes than we were at the start."

The Falcons likely accomplished that mission, maintaining their composure even during a furious UA late-game rally.

It was the Wildcats' first defeat in an exhibition game since an 81-80 loss to Athletes in Action on Nov. 19, 1984.

Seattle Pacific led comfortably throughout the night, with its lead hovering around 12 points until the Wildcats mounted a comeback, including a 10-0 run beginning at the 6:58 mark in the second half.

The run resulted in a one-point lead for Arizona. The teams traded baskets until SPU reeled off six points in a row to take a four-point lead with 1:26 remaining.

The Wildcats missed two free throws in the final minute, but a bucket by Nick Johnson with nine seconds left, and a UA steal off the subsequent in-bounds play put Arizona in a position to win the game with a final shot by Johnson, but the shot missed and SPU pulled off the upset.



“I have to give Seattle Pacific a lot of credit,” said Wildcats coach Sean Miller. “When they wanted a basket, they went inside. When they wanted a three, they took the shot.”

Offensively, Arizona was relatively efficient, shooting 48 percent from the field (25 of 52) with only 12 turnovers. However, the Wildcats were dominated 29-20 on the glass, including a 10-6 SPU advantage in offensive rebounds.

Eight Wildcats scored in the game, led by Johnson with 18.

Johnson scored 15 in the second half, connecting on 3-of-4 three pointers. The one miss was the potential game winner as time expired.

Hill was Arizona's leading rebounder with six. The junior added 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

The Cats allowed SPU to shoot 53 percent from the field (26 of 49), 33 percent from 3-point range (5 of 15) and the Falcons were 12-of-13 from the free throw stripe, including six consecutive down the stretch.

Wall tallied 12 of his game-high 24 points from beyond the arc where he hit on 4 of 8 trey attempts. He is a 6-foot-6 junior who transferred from Colorado Christian University.

"Jobi Wall was a stud," exclaimed Looney. "He did a good job of handling the pressure."

David Downs tallied 14 points and seven assists for the Falcons, who also got 14 points from Andy Poling.

Fifty-eight percent shooting in the first half helped SPU lead comfortably throughout a sloppy first half, and take a 37-29 lead into the break.

The teams combined for 17 turnovers and 21 personal fouls in the half. Arizona hit only nine field goals, while shooting just 39 percent from the field.

 “I am really proud of the way our team stepped up and played hard,” said Seattle Pacific head coach Ryan Looney. “Our approach regardless of who we are playing is to get better and I think we are walking out a better team than we came in.”

Seattle Pacific encounters another Pac-12 opponent in its next exhibition outing. The Falcons visit Washington on Friday, Nov. 4 for a 7 p.m. game at Edmundson Pavilion.


NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, October 27, 2011
McKale Center / Tucson, Ariz.

Seattle Pacific 69, Arizona 68

SEATTLE PACIFIC (69)
Poling 5-8 4-4 14, Wall 8-15 4-5 24, Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Downs 6-14 2-2 14, Dorman 2-2 0-0 5, Stockton 2-3 0-0 4, Moll 0-0 0-0 0, Morse 0-0 2-2 2, Hutsen 3-5 0-0 6, Niang 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-49 12-13 69.

ARIZONA (68)
Perry 4-8 2-4 10, Hill 5-7 5-6 16, Natyazhko 2-5 3-4 7, Turner 3-5 1-2 7, Fogg 1-5 0-0 3, S. Johnson 2-6 0-0 4, N. Johnson 7-11 1-1 18, Mayes 0-2 0-1 0, Lavender 1-2 0-0 3, Chol 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-52 12-18 68.

Seattle Pacific   37    32   -- 69
Arizona           29    39   -- 68

3-point goals – SPU 5-15 (Wall 4-8, Anderson 0-1, Downs 0-4, Dorman 1-1, Stockton 0-1), Ariz 6-17 (Perry 0-1, Hill 1-3, Natyazhko 0-1, Fogg 1-4, N. Johnson 3-5, Lavender 1-2, Chol 0-1. Fouled out – Ariz: S. Johnson. Technical fouls – None. Rebounds – SPU 29 (Poling 5), Ariz 20 (Hill 6). Assists – SPU 15 (Downs 7), Ariz 14 (Turner 4). Turnovers – SPU 17, Ariz 12. Attendance – 12,075.

Next game
Seattle Pacific at Washington
Friday, Nov. 4, Edmundson Pavilion, 7:00 p.m.