Box Score
CHICO--- In an important early NCAA Division II West Region affair, it was the ninth ranked Seattle Pacific Falcons (7-1) defeating the SF State Gators 101-96 in the first round of the Carl's Jr. Mac Martin Invitational in Chico, Calif. Nefi Perdomo paced the Gators with a season high 28 points and was one of six players to score in double digits for SF State.

"Seattle Pacific is a great team," said SF State head coach Paul Trevor. "We created at a high level this evening, but need to guard the "3" better."

Seattle Pacific, is ranked in 9^th in the nation in the most recent NABC Division II Top 25 poll, shot 65% from the field including going 19-for-24 from three-point land. Patrick Simon led the way for the Falcons with a career high 33 points on 11 of 14 shooting from the field including connecting on 10 of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc.

Mitch Penner added 22 points for Seattle Pacific off the bench while David Downs had 21 points.

Besides Perdomo's 28 points, the Gators had five other players in double digits in scoring in Bennie Rhodes (17 points), Udun Osakue (14 points), Calvin Otiono (11 points), Will Overton, Jr. (11 points) and Max Fodor with 10 points.

SF State (1-1) shot 57% from the field while forced 12 turnovers by its opponents and out-rebounded the Falcons 27-25.

"As a team, we need to do a better job of paying more attention to detail," added Trevor. "This was just our second game this season while it was SPU's eighth and you could tell."

The Falcons jumped out to a 20-7 lead in thanks to six three-pointers including two coming from Patrick Simon.

SF State chipped the deficit to 26-24 on a Perdomo three with 9:36 left in the half, but Mitch Penneer's lay-up with 5:40 on the clock increased the Falcons lead back to 38-30.

The Gators outscored their opponents 14-6 in the next four minutes to tie the game at 44-44 on an Overton jumper with 80 seconds to go in the first stanza.

A three by Simon gave the lead back to the Falcons, but Bennie Rhodes connected on a jumper as the buzzer sounded to cut the Gator deficit to 47-46 heading into the locker room.

SF State tied the game early in the second half at 50-50 in the first two minutes, but the scored the next five points to take a 55-50 lead.

The Gators, who received votes in last week's national poll, would not go away a Fodor lay-up cut the Falcon lead to 61-60 with 15:00 on the clock.

The Falcons went on a 12-3 run in the next five minutes to increase their lead back to 8 (72-64).

SF State still would not go away as a Rhodes' trey capped an 11-0 run by the Gators and cut the deficit to 75-72 with 7:15 left in regulation. The Falcons followed that Gator run with a 6-2 run of their own and took an 81-74 lead with six minutes to go.

The Gators outscored their opponents 11-4 in the next two minutes capped by a Perdomo trey to cut their deficit to 87-85.

On the Falcons' next possession, Penner knocked a trey after Cory Hutsen snared an offensive rebound.

SF State came down the court and cut the Falcon lead to 90-87 on a Fodor lay-up, but Downs hit a three to increase the lead back to 93-87.

The Gators twice cut the deficit to three with the last time on an Otiono lay-up (97-94) with 29 ticks left in the game.

Seattle Pacific made four of its six attempts from the charity stripe in the final seconds to hang on for the 101-96 victory.

SF State will return to the court tomorrow at 5:30pm, when the Gators face Dominican University of California (6-0) in their second and final game in Chico, Calif., in the Carl's Jr. Mac Martin Invitational.

"We need to get a better effort on defense, but I am happy with our effort on the offensive end of the floor," noted Trevor.

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