Men's Basketball | 2/13/2009 12:56:52 AM

[Box score]

SEATTLE - Rafael Moreira scored 28 points and Chris Banchero added 26 to lead Seattle Pacific to an 83-77 victory over Western Oregon Thursday, Feb. 12.

With the win SPU moved to 7-3 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and to 14-7 on the season. The loss dropped Western Oregon to 8-13 and 2-8 in the GNAC.

Travis Kuhns had a career-high 33 points in the loss as he went 11 of 22 from the field, five of nine from three-point range and six of six at the line. Mike McLaughlin posted his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Matt Schmidt came off the bench to score 14 points including going seven of seven at the free throw line.

With the score was tied 61-61 with 7:25 remaining after a Schmidt free throw, Moreira hit a layup which proved to put SPU up for good. Moreira and Brandon Larrieu would combine to score 16 of the Falcon's 22 points over the final 7:25. Kuhns had 10 of the Wolves 16 points during this stretch including eight straight at one point.

"We competed and maintained focus throughout most of this game and had a chance at the end," said WOU head coach Craig Stanger. "But we were just not consistent as you need to be to get a win in this conference."

Western Oregon made 15 of its 17 free throw attempts in the game and collected 11 offensive rebounds but shot just .438 from the field. Seattle Pacific, which entered the game third in NCAA Division II with a .524 field goal percentage, went 32 for 56 from the floor for a .571 shooting percentage.

"Seattle Pacific is a good team and they made some good plays down the stretch," Stanger noted.

The Wolves will now return to Monmouth to face the No. 25 Western Washington Vikings Saturday, Feb. 14, at 7:00 p.m.