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SEATTLE (Dec. 7) -- Seniors MARK MCLAUGHLIN (Bothell/Inglemoor HS) and JB PILLARD III (Kirkland/Juanita HS) once again led the Central Washington University men's basketball team in the scoring column, but the combined 45 points from the duo was not enough as the Wildcats fell to 16th-ranked Seattle Pacific University, 80-67, on Saturday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Wildcats dropped below the .500 mark at 3-4 overall, including an 0-2 reocrd in Great Northwest Athletic Conference games. SPU improved to 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference.

"We need to clean up our defense and our rebounding," CWU head coach Greg Sparling said. "Offensively, you're not going to win too many games with just five assists."

The Wildcats finished Saturday's game shooting nearly 50 percent (26 of 54; 48.1 percent), and with just six turnovers. However, CWU allowed the host Falcons to shoot 60.8 percent from the field and SPU posted a 33-25 advantage in rebounding.

CWU led just three times in Saturday's game, with all of those taking place in the first half. A 16-14 led on a three-pointer by senior JEFF BUDINICH (Maple Valley/Kentlake HS) with 12:06 to go was the first of those margins, and actually proved to be the largest lead of the game for the Wildcats. Their other two advantages were one-point differentials within the subsequent 90 seconds.

Seattle Pacific scored the next six points after Central Washington's final one-point lead -- 20-19 with 10:46 to go in the first half -- and the Falcons obtained their largest first-half lead of nine points at the intermission. SPU scored the final five points of the period before opening up a double-digit lead just moments into the second half.

Although the Wildcats shot the ball efficiently, and posted their lowest single-game turnover total since five in a home win over Alaska Anchorage last January, they were unable to cool down a Seattle Pacific offense that shot 60 percent or better in both halves and committed just 11 turnovers.

McLaughlin, who had scored a career-high 42 points in his last appearance on the Brougham Pavilion court three weeks ago against Colorado Christian, finished with 26 points on 9 of 19 shooting. Pillard, meanwhile, continued his offensive efficiency with a 7 for 10 game as he totaled 19 points and a team-high six rebounds. No other CWU player scored more than six.

David Downs led the Falcons with 26 points, while Cory Hutsen added 19. That duo combined to make 17 of 26 shots. Brendan Carroll scored 11 off the bench, while Patrick Simon was one point shy of a double-double (nine points, 10 rebounds).

"It will be nice to get some time off so that we can hit the practice floor and clean up some things," Sparling said.

The Wildcats will have a lighter game schedule in the coming weeks as they prepare for final exams and return to an abbreviated non-conference stretch on the ledger. CWU does not play again until a Dec. 16 home game against Quest University Canada, and the Wildcats will not have another conference contest until a Jan. 4 road game against Northwest Nazarene University.