Box score, play-by-play (HTML)
 
SEATTLE – A little reminder at halftime on Thursday night was exactly what the Seattle Pacific Falcons needed.
 
Jordan McPhee scored 19 points, Julia Haining added 18, and 25^th-ranked SPU tightened up on defense during the second half to beat Montana State Billings in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game in Brougham Pavilion, 70-61.
 
The Falcons (9-2, 3-1 GNAC), who were up 40-39 at the break, limited Billings (9-4, 2-1 GNAC) to just 22 second-half points – and the Yellowjackets, who started the season 9-and-0, got five of those inside the final 35 seconds after SPU had built a 10-point lead.

 
Alisha Breen, a three-time GNAC Player of the Week and a Division II National Player of the Week this season, poured in 25 points, getting 20 of those during the first half on 8-of-11 shooting.
 
But Seattle Pacific effectively shut her down after that, as Breen hit 1 of 6 during the second half and had just five more points – three of those at the foul line.
 
"Basically, I think you know things, but sometimes you forget. And one of the things you know is that Breen can't have space – even six inches is too much," head coach Julie Heisey said. "It was just understanding that we needed to make her put the ball on the floor if she gets it, and not let her have any easy catches.
 
"Same thing with Rylee Kane – I knew she was a driver, and we should have forced her more into taking some contested outside 3's. So we tried to make those adjustments."
 
It worked. After hitting 16 of 35 (45.7 percent) during the first half, the Yellowjackets, drained just 8 of 34 (23.5 percent) through the second half.

 

"They came out and shot lights-out in the first half. That's where I was hoping our depth would pay off," Heisey said. "We were able to tighten up, and our depth paid. Our kids did a great job of coming back in shape after the break."
 
The first half featured 13 lead changes and four ties. The Falcons went up by seven at the outset of the second quarter at 26-19, then saw Montana State Billings run off nine straight points to go in front, 28-26.
 
Down 39-37 after Breen sank a pair of free throws for her 19^th and 20^th points with 1:33 left in the half, SPU regained the lead for good when redshirt freshman guard Hailee Bennett buried a 3-pointer from 22 feet away on the right side of the lane at the 54-second mark.
 
Seattle Pacific scored the first six points of the second half – two free throws by Haining, a lay-in by McPhee after she stole the ball and drove the length of the court, and then a lay-in by Haining as she went coast-to-coast following a steal.
 
The Yellowjackets never came closer than four after that, at 46-42 midway through the third quarter. During a decisive five-minute stretch of the fourth, the Falcons yielded just one point while scoring six of their own for a 66-56 advantage with 32.5 seconds to go.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- Along with her 19 points, senior guard McPhee had six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots. Senior center Haining added eight boards and three steals.
-- Senior forward Courtney Hollander scored nine points, but also grabbed a team-leading 11 rebounds and dished out a career-high six assists.
-- SPU's reserves had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. Carly Rataushk (left) hit 3 of 3 from the field, and Rachel Shim (right) had five boards.
-- The Falcons had a 10-point advantage at the free throw line, hitting 17 of 22. Billings was 7 of 12.
-- As expected, it was a low-turnover game -- 11 for Billings, 12 for SPU. They are the GNAC's two best teams at taking care of the ball.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons have the rest of this week off, then play twice in Brougham Pavilion next week. Northwest Nazarene is in town on Thursday, Jan. 4, followed by Central Washington on Saturday the 6^th. Both games tip off at 7:00 p.m.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
(No. 25) Seattle Pacific 70, Montana State Billings 61
 
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (9-4, 2-1 GNAC)
Alisha Breen 9-17 5-6 25, Rylee Kane 7-20 0-2 15, Vanessa Stavish 3-8 0-0 8, Hannah Collins 3-9 0-0 6, Brina Hull 2-6 0-0 5, Lexi Prevost 0-7 1-2 1, Taylor Edwards 0-0 1-2 1, Grace Weeks 0-1 0-0 0, Janessa Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Jeanann Lemelin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-69 7-12 61.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (9-2, 3-1 GNAC)
Jordan McPHee 5-14 9-12 19, Julia Haining 5-9 3-4 13, Courtney Hollander 3-13 2-2 9, Lindsay Lee 3-8 0-0 8, Carly Rataushk 3-3 0-0 6, Jaylee Albert 1-6 2-2 5, Erica Pagano 2-6 0-0 4, Rachel Shim 1-6 1-2 3, Hailee Bennett 1-3 0-0 3, Riley Evans 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-68 17-22 70.
 
Montana State Billings       19           20           10           12           -- 61
Seattle Pacific                     24           16           15           15           -- 70
 
3-point goals – MSUB 6-25 (Stavish 2-7, Breen 2-6, Kane 1-3, Hull 1-3, Prevost 0-5, Collins 0-1), SPU 5-19 (Lee 2-6, Bennett 1-1, Hollander 1-3, Albert 1-6, Shim 0-1, McPhee 0-2). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – MSUB 40 (Breen 10), SPU 49 (Hollander 11). Assists – MSUB 12 (Lemelin 3), SPU 17 (Hollander 6). Turnovers – MSUB 11, SPU 12. Total fouls – MSUB 21, SPU 16. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 207.
 
 
Next game
Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Jan. 4        7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion