David Ghan/The Falcon Senior JoJay Jackson shoots over the heads of MSUB players from the three-point line. That night, SPU broke the GNAC record for most lopsided game, winning by 56 points.

Winter rain drizzled outside Royal Brougham Pavilion Saturday night, but inside, the SPU men's basketball team endured a five-minute dry spell on the way to a 66-59 loss against Seattle University (SU).

The defeat came after the Falcons set a Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) record for margin of victory Thursday, dispatching Montana State University, Billings (MSUB) 90-34.

Players were nonetheless thinking about the first home loss to their rivals since 1992.

"We played a good 35-minute game," senior Rob Will said. "We can't do that....You have to finish the game."

Leading by 10 with 7:44 left, the Falcons missed their next six shots and had four turnovers in five minutes. Meanwhile, the Redhawks went on a 14-0 run to take a 59-53 lead with 2:22 remaining. Sophomore Ricky Berry's corner three-pointer with 3:31 left gave the Redhawks a lead they would not relinquish.

Junior Leigh Swanson scored all six of his points during the run, and the Redhawks hit seven of 10 free throws in the final two minutes.

For much of the second half, the Falcons looked to be on their way to victory. Three straight three-pointers from senior Marques Echols turned a one-point deficit into a six-point lead at the 13:16 mark. Behind Echols, the Falcons stretched the lead to 48-38 with 11:09 left. Then the Redhawks began pressuring SPU's ball handlers.

While the Falcons didn't turn the ball over, their offense had trouble creating anything but contested jump shots. SU switched between zone and man defenses, forcing shot clock violations and havoc in the process.

Daniel Kessler/The Falcon Junior Casey Reed jumps for two points during Saturday’s game in Royal Brougham against Seattle University.

"We were shooting ourselves in the foot and making stupid plays," Will said. "They did a really good job of switching up their defenses. We couldn't really get in a rhythm."

Neither team led by more than four in a tense first half. Starting center Will scored seven of SPU's first nine points on his way to a game-high 17, but only five came after halftime.

A three-pointer by senior Jared Moultrie and a layup by junior Casey Reed gave the Falcons momentum at the break as they led 31-29.

"It was a defensive struggle," Will said. "It's a battle on defense. Whoever is going to get more stops is going to win the game."

Sophomore Chris Gweth and junior Michael Wright scored 15 points each to lead the Redhawks. Swanson and Berry sparked SU off the bench as the Redhawks showcased their depth.

"Even when they subbed, it seemed like the same players were out there," senior JoJay Jackson said of the Redhawks bench.

For the Falcons, Echols had 16 points and Jackson scored nine with 10 rebounds, but they combined to shoot only 10-for-27 from the floor.

Saturday's offensive struggles proved a stark contrast against Thursday's output versus MSUB's Yellowjackets. When SPU and MSUB played in January, the Falcons squeaked out a 62-56 win on the road.

This time around, the Falcons scored the first nine points of the game and led by as many as 60 points. The big lead allowed reserve players extra court time.

Daniel Kessler/The Falcon Sophomore Adam Wardell rushes by an SU player in Saturday night’s game.

Based on individual performances in blowouts like Thursday's game, head coach Jeff Hironaka said players "may get the call sooner in a pressure packed game."

Before reserves entered, Will relentlessly posted up against the Yellowjackets, scoring 18 points in the first half on eight-for-nine shooting.

A sparse crowd of 143 spectators, including members of SPU's final four team from two years ago, saw the Falcons clear their bench with 13 minutes remaining.

Will led the Falcons with 24 points, and sophomores Brandon Larrieu and Adam Wardell chipped in with season-highs of 16 and 11 points, respectively.

"I thought we did a nice job of bringing our own energy," Will said of the MSUB game. "We just wanted to play a full game finally. The guys who came off the bench did a nice job of doing that as well."

SPU is now 15-5 overall and 7-4 in the GNAC, tied with Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) for third place in the conference behind undefeated University of Alaska, Anchorage and 8-4 Central Washington. The Falcons play NNU Saturday at Royal Brougham Pavilion at 7 p.m.

David Ghan/The Falcon Senior JoJay Jackson shoots over the heads of MSUB players from the three-point line. That night, SPU broke the GNAC record for most lopsided game, winning by 56 points.