LAS VEGAS, Nev. ? The UC San Diego women's basketball team dropped the opening game of the WWU Great Western Shootout on Tuesday morning by a 70-60 score to 24th-ranked Seattle Pacific. With the loss the Tritons fall to 3-2 on the season while the Falcons improve to 5-3, snapping a brief 2-game losing streak.

Both of UCSD's losses thus far in the 2006-07 season have come by 10 points to teams ranked in the top-25 by the WBCA as the Tritons dropped a 79-69 decision to then 6th-ranked Chico State at home on December 1.

Seattle Pacific forward Autumn Fielding scored 10 of her team-high 15 points in the first five minutes of the game to lead four players who scored in double digits on the day. SPU got 10 points each from Rachel Strand, Libby Magnuson and Jessie Menkens in the victory. Strand also grabbed nine rebounds as Seattle Pacific had a 49-36 advantage on the boards.

UC San Diego got a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds from forward Hillary Hansen. Fellow senior Leora Juster, who entered the game with a 27.0 scoring average, was held to a season-low 16 points on 6-of-18 floor shooting. The guard from Los Angeles did not lead the team in scoring for the first time all season long. Junior guard Kacie Kostlan had a career-high 14 points for the Tritons in the loss.

Seattle Pacific took a 14-6 lead to open the game as Fielding hit her first three shots, two from 3-point range, and made two free throws. The Falcons led by as many as 15 points twice in the first half and were ahead by nine, 36-27, at halftime.

UCSD opened the second half with an 18-5 run to take a 45-41 lead with 12 minutes left in the game. But Seattle Pacific answered with a 20-5 run over the next nine minutes for a 61-50 advantage with 2:52 to go. Magnuson put the Falcons ahead to stay, 47-45, with a 3-pointer at 10:04.

The Tritons got a game-high 11 rebounds from Michelle Osier in the loss.

On Wednesday, Seattle Pacific meets Cal Poly Pomona at 11 a.m. and UC San Diego plays host Western Washington University at 1 p.m.