On a clear Seattle night, the Redhawks reigned in Key Arena. Seattle University men’s basketball improved their season record to 2-1 with a dominant win over Evergreen State College on Saturday night with a final score of 100-59. This game came after a thriller on Wednesday night when the team had a come from behind victory against California State University Fullerton (CSUF) where the final score was 75-71.
After a dismal season last year, things have begun looking up for men’s basketball at Seattle U. The Redhawks are projected to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) this season and played a hard fought game against University of Washington in their season opening loss before winning their last two games, both in Key Arena.
Clarence Trent soars high, dunking in the first quarter against Evergreen on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. Trent had eight rebounds for the game.
In their home opener last Wednesday night against CSUF, the Redhawks started off slowly and trailed by 10 at halftime. Elgin Baylor, former Redhawk and NBA hall of famer, was in attendance, adding excitement. About halfway through the second half of the game, Seattle U trailed by 16 points. However, the team made a thrilling comeback, scoring 47 points in the half to win the game. Redshirt juniors Isiah Umipig and Jarell Flora led the team in scoring with 24 and 25 points, respectively.
Following the amazing comeback victory, the Redhawks returned to Key Arena to take on Evergreen State and controlled the game from start to finish. At halftime, Seattle U had a commanding 49-26 lead, due in large part to a run of 21 unanswered points.
Thanks to the big lead, the Redhawks were able to rotate a lot of their players into the game. One reason the team managed to build such a strong score was their ability to achieve rebounds. Seattle U had 35 offensive rebounds and led Evergreen State 68 to 28 in total rebounds. Sophomore Jack Crook had a great night, putting up 14 rebounds. The team leaders in scoring were Umipig and redshirt sophomore Deshaun Sunderhaus with 19 points apiece.
“It definitely feels good to get a win,” said Umipig. “But we still have areas to improve on.”
Although the Redhawks are coming off a dominant win and have a winning record, it is still early in the season.
“I’m happy with the start. It’s exciting to see guys put in work and be rewarded with a W in the win column,” said head coach Cameron Dollar. “For us, we want to see more consistency in our play, our effort, and our execution. We are improving each and every day.”
The Redhawks will play their next home game on Monday at 7 p.m., and hope to improve their slightly lacking fan section in the games to come with enthusiastic students.
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