By Bob Sims

Mitch Penner picked the right time to play one of his best games of the year.
Penner exploded for 15 second-half points to help spark seventh-seeded Seattle Pacific University to a big 81-69 upset win over 16th-ranked BYU-Hawaii in the opening game of the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament Friday in Azusa, Calif.

The Falcons, however, lost to 21st-ranked Cal Baptist 78-77 in the semifinal on Saturday night, ending their season at 24-8. Penner, a Kennedy graduate, had 15 points in that game.

Against BYU-Hawaii, Penner had scored seven points in a decisive 15-0 run in the second half to ignite the Falcons. He began and ended the run with his scoring.
Penner, a 6-foot-5 junior forward had a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds. He hit 5 of 9 from the field and 8 of 9 at the free-throw line.

It was Penner's interior defense that most impressed his coach, Ryan Looney.
"He was a fighter," Looney told www.spufalcons.com. after the game. "A lot of games, including tonight, Mitch has had to match himself up against a bigger guy. So to hold his ground defensively and block out when shots are going up was huge for this team."

BYU-Hawaii had players 6-foot-10, 6-8, and 6-7 in their lineup at times.
"They were definitely a big team," Penner said. "We play kind of small but we're known for our habits and working hard on the glass. That definitely was huge for us to keep it even and keep crashing the boards."

Penner, who was a Great Northwest Athletic Conference honorable-mention selection, averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season.