Metro-Seattle U. Connection -- 3 Basketball Players Begin To Make Marks

Three former Metro League basketball players have taken their games to Seattle University and are rising stars in NAIA District 1.

Andre Lang, a sophomore guard who graduated from O'Dea High School, leads the NAIA in assists with 6.3 a game and averages 18.3 points per game for Seattle U.

Garfield graduates Greg Gill and Derrick Quinet are leaders for the Chieftains. Gill is third in the district in scoring (18.7) and leads the Chieftains with 7.9 rebounds. Quintet leads the district in three-point shooting (.488).

Last night, Seattle U. lost to Seattle Pacific 91-63. Gill led Seattle U. (4-16) with 13 points, Quinet added seven and Lang five.

Meanwhile, the SPU Falcons have won 10 of their past 11 games and are in second place in the Pacific West Conference with a 2-1 record, 15-6 overall.

"It's that time of season where we want to make sure that we're starting to gel," said SPU Coach Ken Bone. "We've played 21 games together and our last seven of our last eight games are league games so we better start to peak."

The Falcons had an eight-game winning streak snapped Saturday when they lost 84-77 to league-leading Chaminade. They travel to their next two league games, against Alaska-Anchorage Monday and Alaska-Fairbanks Wednesday.

WWU women meet No. 21

-- The Western Washington women's basketball team will meet its second nationally ranked opponent when it plays host to No. 21 Lewis-Clark State Saturday at Carver Gymnasium in Bellingham.

WWU (4-4, 11-9) lost 71-58 to Simon Fraser Tuesday. Simon Fraser (4-3, 17-6) is ranked 10th in the NAIA Division I national poll.

Forward Alissia Lumpkin leads the Vikings in scoring (14.9 avg.), rebounds (8.5) and field-goal percentage (51.0).

Notes

-- Guard Jason Pepper, Central Washington's all-time leader with 298 steals, had a streak snapped Saturday. He went without a steal as the Saints lost to Simon Fraser 85-76. That ended a 61-game streak during which he had at least one steal. CWU (2-2, 15-6) is 19th in the NAIA national poll. -- The SPU gymnastics team, defending national champions of the United States Gymnastics Federation Division II, travels to the Midwest to face Ball State tomorrow and Illinois State Monday. -- Senior forward Jay Shinnick, who leads the Western Washington men's basketball team in scoring (14.7), rebounds (6.5) and blocks (1.1) is the only Viking player to start every game this season. WWU is (2-3, 11-7) and fourth in the division. -- The University of Puget Sound men's basketball team moved into first place of the District 1 standings with a 90-73 victory over Lewis-Clark State Saturday. The Loggers are 3-1 in the league and 10-1 overall.