Box score, play-by-play
 
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Everything the Seattle Pacific Falcons did two nights ago at Alaska Anchorage, they did again on Saturday at Alaska Fairbanks … with one big difference.
 
This time, they won.
 
Katie Benson scored 21 points for the second game in a row – including SPU's first six –and added career highs of four blocked shots and four steals, as the Falcons led wire to wire to beat the Nanooks in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball contest, 87-71.
 
Seattle Pacific (13-8, 7-6 GNAC) bounced back from Thursday's 93-82 loss at Alaska Anchorage to gain a split of its road trip. As was the case two nights ago, the Falcons shot better than the other side (52.6 percent to 41.3 percent), had more rebounds (36-33), and put more than 80 points on the scoreboard – the first time this season they've topped 80 in consecutive games.
 
“Who would have thought we'd score 169 points in Alaska and not win both games?” SPU coach Julie Heisey said. “I think our kids responded well today. I felt good, because sometimes, we don't play well here.
 
“I can't say we put the whole 40 minutes together, but we did some good things for about 35 minutes,” she added. “We played with the lead well, and we played a lot of people, so that was great.”
 
The victory gives SPU some momentum heading into next week's home games against two nationally ranked teams.  Simon Fraser, currently No. 12, comes in on Valentine's Thursday at 5:15 p.m., and No. 4 Western Washington visits next Saturday, Feb. 16, at 5:15. Those are the first games of doubleheaders, with the men taking on Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, both at 7:30 p.m.
 
Sophomore guard Suzanna Ohlsen (Monroe, Wash. / Monroe HS) had 17 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Falcons on Saturday. Junior guard Aubree Callen (Jerome Idaho) chipped in 12 points and tied her career high with nine assists – a mark she set just two nights ago in Anchorage. Callen also pulled down seven rebounds.
 
Benissa Bulaya led Alaska Fairbanks (2-19, 0-13 GNAC) with 18 points, and Ruth O'Neal came off the bench for 17.

 
Ohlsen and junior forward Benson (Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS) helped SPU build a quick 11-4 lead. The Falcons stretched it to as many as 12 during the first half before taking a 45-37 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
 
Seattle Pacific used an 11-2 run at the outset of the second half to stretch the lead to 17 at 56-39. It grew as large as 22 at 82-60 with five minutes left.
 
“We started off both halves really well,” Heisey said. “Katie and Suzanna and Aubree played really well. And Rachel Murray came out in the second half and hit a couple 3s – it's so nice to have her back because she does so many things that don't show up on the stat sheet.”
 
Benson  drained 9 of 12 from the field and now has five games this season of 21 or more points. She is just 10 points away from 1,000 for her career.
 
“Katie made some great shots inside and made some great cuts, and Aubree found her,” Heisey said. (Of Callen's nine assists, three were on Benson baskets.)
 
Seattle Pacific won the boards for the 18^th time in 21 games, with Callen's seven leading the way.
 
The Falcons' 52.6 percent shooting mark (30 of 57) was their second-highest mark of the season. It was exceeded only by 53.2 percent at Notre Dame de Namur on Dec. 18. Benson drained 9 of her 12 shots. Saturday's performance  included 53.8 percent (7 of 13) from 3-point territory.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013
The Patty Center / Fairbanks, Alaska
 
Seattle Pacific 87, Alaska Fairbanks 71
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (13-8, 7-6 GNAC)
Benson 9-12 2-2 21, Ohlsen 5-9 5-6 17, Callen 4-6 3-4 12, Murray 2-3 2-2 8, Barnes 2-8 2-4 7, Stephens 3-6 0-0 6, Pflaumer 2-4 1-1 5, Lasconia 2-5 0-0 4, Teng 0-0 4-4 4, Butler 1-3 1-2 4, Grager 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-57 20-25 87.
 
ALASKA FAIRBANKS (2-19, 0-13 GNAC)
Bulaya 6-12 6-10 18, O'Neal 7-14 2-2 17, Logue 4-10 3-6 12, Lovato 5-10 1-1 12, Atoruk 1-6 1-2 4, Altenburg 1-6 1-2 3, Kirk 1-2 0-0 3, Thornton 1-3 0-0 2, Newman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-63 14-23 71.
 
 
Seattle Pacific         45        42           -- 87
Alaska Fairbanks    37      34           -- 71
 
3-point goals – SPU 7-13 (Ohlsen 2-3, Murray 2-2, Benson 1-2, Barnes 1-3, Callen 1-2, Lasconia 0-1), UAF 5-18 (Atoruk 1-4, Lovato 1-5, Logue 1-4, Kirk 1-1, O'Neal 1-3, Altenburg 0-1). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 36 (Callen 7), UAF 33 (O'Neal 10). Assists – SPU 22 (Callen 9), UAF 15 (Bulaya 6). Turnovers – SPU 19, UAF 19. Total fouls – SPU 17, UAF 23. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 189.
 
Next game – Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific, Feb. 14, Brougham Pavilion, 5:15 p.m.