GNAC release (HTML)
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – The two leading players for the Seattle Pacific Falcons are also regarded as two of the leading players in the entire Great Northwest Athletic Conference, as the Preseason All-Conference team was announced on Thursday.
 
Seniors Jordan McPhee and Courtney Hollander were both selected by the 11 GNAC coaches for the elite 15-player list.

 

The 5-foot-10 McPhee was a unanimous selection. A guard, McPhee (Normandy Park, Wash. / Mount Rainier HS) averaged 11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season, ranking No. 2 on the team in both categories as she earned All-GNAC honorable mention status for the second straight year.
 
McPhee was one of just two players on the team to start all 30 games. She led SPU in total points with 335, her first time with more than 300 in a season. Along the way, McPhee set single-season bests for field goals made (117), rebounds (157), assists (56), blocked shots (10) and steals (53). She made the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament team, and was the Most Valuable Player in the SPU Classic.

 

Hollander, a 6-footer who can player either guard or forward, return as SPU's leading scorer (11.8) and rebounder (7.0), and was named to the All-GNAC 2^nd Team after being an honorable mention pick as a sophomore. Hollander put those numbers into the book even though she missed five games with an injury.
 
In 25 games, Hollander (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden Christian HS) logged five double-doubles, giving her 14 for her career. She set a career rebounding high with 14 in a 17-point win against then-No. 17 UC San Diego, and poured in a career-high 23 points as the Falcons opened their GNAC schedule with a 68-59 win at Western Oregon last Dec. 1. Hollander shot a single-season career-best 85.1 percent from the free throw line (40 of 47) and made three All-Tournament squads.
 
Seattle Pacific opens the season with an exhibition game against George Fox on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 4:00 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. The season officially begins the following weekend as the Falcons fly off to California for the Fresno Pacific West Region Crossover Classic. SPU plays Humboldt State on Friday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m., then takes on the host Sunbirds on Saturday the 11th at 7:30 p.m.
 
The first regular-season home game is against NCAA Division II newcomer Biola of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 5:00 p.m. Conference play begins at Concordia-Portland on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 7:00 p.m.
 

GNAC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
 
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Alisha Breen, Montana State Billings
 

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Yr.	Hometown (Previous School)
* Alisha Breen	Montana State Billings	F	5-10	Sr.	Choteau, Mont. (Choteau)
* Jasmin Edwards	Central Washington	G	5-5	Sr.	Lynnwood, Wash. (Lynnwood)
* Jordan McPhee	Seattle Pacific	G	5-10	Sr.	Normandy Park, Wash. (Mount Rainier)
Courtney Hollander	Seattle Pacific	G	6-0	Sr.	Lynden, Wash. (Lynden Christian)
Tara Thompson	Alaska Anchorage	G	5-7	Jr.	Anchorage, Alaska (Dimond)
* Lexi Tubbs	Northwest Nazarene	G	5-11	Sr.	Turlock, Calif. (Modesto Christian)
* Danielle Hartzog	Concordia	G	5-9	Sr.	Beaverton, Ore. (Colorado Mesa Univ.)
Hannah Stipanovich	Western Washington	F/C	6-1	Sr.	St. Louis, Mo. (Metro State Univ.)
* Shelby Cloninger	Alaska Anchorage	F	6-0	Sr.	Kamiah, Idaho (North Idaho JC)
* Taylor Baird	Central Washington	F	6-2	Sr.	Snohomish, Wash. (Univ, of Southern Utah)
Elin Johansson	Saint Martin's	F	6-1	Sr.	Gothenburg, Sweden (Sanda Gymnasium)
Sydney Azorr	Western Oregon	G	5-10	Sr.	Clackamas, Ore. (Clackamas)
Rylee Kane	Montana State Billings	G	5-6	Sr.	Red Lodge, Mont. (Red Lodge)
Lexie Bland	Western Washington	G	5-6	So.	Ellensburg, Wash. (Ellensburg)
Bailey Cartwright	Concordia	F	6-1	Jr.	Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana)

* - indicates unanimous selection