Seattle University suffocated a listless Chicago state squad 57-31 Saturday night at the Key. The score line broke the previous points allowed record against a D1 school set earlier in the month when they held Utah Valley
to 33.
The Cougars suffered a 16-minute scoring drought extending through both halves. With ten minutes left in the game, Seattle U found themselves up 41-11 after a 23-0 run that began in the first half. Chicago State would have found a watering hole in the Arabian Peninsula before a basket amid Seattle U’s pesky one-two-two zone. Fans even felt sorry for Chicago State: when they finally scored in the second half, the Redhawk faithful offered a few cheers.
With just five minutes to go, one Chicago State staffer could only ask the scores table if there was any good seafood downtown.
“That’s a sight to see,” said Head Coach Cameron Dollar. “They’re dialed in and they’re moving with each other. We did a good job contesting their shots and scrapping for rebounds, which is something we wanted to do against these guys.”
Isiah Umipig, usually known for his robust scoring, bothered ball handlers all night at the top of the zone. The guards extended while Jack Cook and William Powell stonewalled attackers at the rim—a fine-tuned
defensive symphony.
“We just continued to play the right way,” said Umipig, who, along with Powell, led all scorers with 11 points. “One thing that was really big for us was talking on defense. It contributed in a big way.”
With key post contributor Shore Adenekan still out due to injury, Powell continued to step up his game. He added 8 boards to the scoring along with 3 assists, a steal, and a block. His only blank stat? Personal fouls. The performance coupled with 17 points against UMKC on Wednesday earned him WAC player of the week honors.
“I just wanted to contribute every way I could and stuff the stat sheet,” said Powell. “Somebody had to do it and why not me?”
“He’s been playing well for us all year long,” Dollar said of Powell. “He’s been active on the boards, finishing strong, and is a big key to us offensively.”
Most of the starters, including Powell and Umipig, rested for much of the second half as the Redhawks flew ahead with 16 straight points to start as part of that 23-0 run. Much of that coming from Seattle U’s 24 points
off turnovers.
The Redhawks (13-13, 6-6 WAC) look to keep the momentum going on senior night against Bakersfield this Saturday. With just two regular season games left, they plan to change the narrative of early WAC tourney exits.
“It’s good to be in this position late in the year where you’re winning games and have some momentum,” Dollar said. “We continue to be a relatively new program, but we aren’t going away anytime soon.”
