SPU MEN¹S WIN STREAK REACHES 10 WITH TOURNEY VICTORY

SEATTLE (Dec. 29) ­ Yusef Aziz scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half to propel 12th-ranked Seattle Pacific University to its 10th straight victory and the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Holiday Classic title, 80-64 over Lewis-Clark State Saturday night at Brougham Pavilion.

Maurice Cato (Jr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.) and Eric Sandrin (Sr., 6-10, Bothell, Wa./Shorecrest) each added 15 points for the Falcons (10-1), who matched their longest win streak since opening the 1993-94 season with 11 consecutive wins.

Seattle Pacific broke open the game in the latter stages of the first half when they outscored the Warriors (10-5) 16-5. Aziz (Jr., 6-4, Seattle, Wa./Foster-Highline CC) accounted for seven of the points and Nick Johnson (Sr., 6-3, Burlington, Wa/Burlington-Edison) had five during the run which gave SPU a 48-30 lead at the break.

Aziz was joined on the all-tournament team by Johnson, Cato, Lewis-Clark State¹s Jason Brazier and Tyrone Palmer of Texas A&M Commerce.

Lewis-Clark State, which had won six in a row, was paced by Beau Barney¹s 14 points. James Idoko added 13.

SPU, which has won 22 consecutive December games dating back to 1998, pushed the lead to 27 points early in the second period before Coach Ken Bone pulled his starters.

Brannon Stone (Sr., 6-9, Oak Harbor, Wa.) and Johnson each snared eight rebounds as the Falcons controlled the boards, 42-31. They shot 46 percent from the field (32-69) and held the Warriors to just 39 percent (20-52) and forced 20 turnovers.

Aziz made five steals, all in the first half, when L-C State lost the ball 15 times.

Seattle Pacific, in the midst of a seven-game homestand, hosts Northwest Nazarene as Great Northwest Athletic Conference play resumes Thursday at 7:30.

LEWIS-CLARK ST.‹Meneely 9, Barney 14, Brazier 11, Lawson 7, Wilson 2, Allen 4, Pecht 4, Idoko 13.

SEATTLE PACIFIC‹Cato 15, Aziz 19, Stone 6, Johnson 12, E. Sandrin 15, Lee 0, Harris 2, Bellessa 0, Keely 2, Woodard 7, Sundberg 0, D. Sandrin 2, Cohen 0.