Jonny Anderson Junior Chad Williams guides the ball through Western Oregon opponents Feb. 26 in Royal Brougham.

Nobody likes to end their season on a loss; everybody always wants to win. To put it simply, winning is fun, and the SPU men's hoops team did plenty of that this past year. After finishing last season just one game over .500 overall, SPU resounded with an amazing 20-9 record, .689 overall. Not only that, but the men's team tied for 5th place last year in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and this year got outright third.

But none of this came just as mere happenstance. It came as the result of lots of hard work, days in the weight room, hours in the gym and extra workouts - basically, whatever it took, these guys did it, and it showed. Even from the very beginning, anyone who looked at this team could tell you that there was something different about them. How about going undefeated in the month of December? Is that not a clear enough sign that something's different, compared to last year when they only won 3 games during that 31 day stretch, one of which had to go into overtime? And then there's the fact that last year they lost their first home court contest along with a few others, and this year they only lost one, and it came at the end of the year as the result of the sloppiest, most off-balanced shots I've ever seen in my life.

The Falcons only lost one senior this past year, which meant that all five starters were returning, and an already deep bench got even deeper with the addition of three transfers (Matt Birkle, Darel Lucas, Robbie Will), and two frosh (Paul Brockman, Chris Faidley). Given, only one of those five guys, Birkle, would see playing time this season, the additions this season means next season will be even better. Aside from the additions, look at how much tighter SPU's starting five looked. Tony Binetti, Dustin Bremerman, Jason Chivers, Jordan Lee and Chad Williams ignited an SPU force that was nearly unstoppable at the beginning of the year, and even into the second half of the season. Bremerman ended up No. 4 in the national rankings for free throw shooting, which Ralph Steele won last year, and Jason Chivers was 14th in rebounding.

From Nov. 27 until Jan. 27, the Men's team lost only two games, but unfortunately dropped five more between then and their season-ending loss to Cal Poly Pomona in the first round of the NCAA West Regional Tournament. SPU did manage however, to beat rival Seattle University, Saint Martin's College and Alaska Anchorage University every time they met this season. The men also defeated Humboldt State University in their house down in Arcata, Calif., which is a feat that has been accomplished only one other time in the past four seasons.

Senior leadership was another strength for the Falcons, who were led in points per game by two of their three seniors: Jason Chivers, with a 15.7 ppg average, and Jordan Lee, with a 13.9 ppg average. Junior Tony Binetti was a close third with 13.4 ppg avg, and Dustin Bremerman was the only other Falcon to average over ten points per game, with 13.1. And on rebounds, Chivers had an average of 10.2 per game, followed by Chad Williams at 5.7. Chivers was the only Falcon to average a double-double (ten rebounds and ten points per game), and any way you slice that, it's extremely impressive.

What can we expect next year, though? More of the same? Ralph Steele's amazing help off the bench and clutch performances will never be able to be duplicated. Jordan Lee's dedication and hot hands will be indefinitely missed, not to mention Jason Chivers' amazing ability to get the job done under the hoop regardless of who's in the way. An All-region and first team all-conference repeat selection by Chivers, academic all-conference selection and amazing three-point shooting percentage ranking No. 3 all time for SPU by Lee and Ralph Steele snagging the school's season free throw percentage record and GNAC record of 34 consecutive-made free throws make for some big shoes to fill next year.

What will happen? Who will reign supreme in the GNAC? Only time will tell. Until then, I bid adieu to those three amazing seniors who have dedicated so much to SPU's program. You will be greatly missed, and your legacies will never die.