Seattle University men’s basketball lost against Utah Valley University on Saturday, March 4 in Orem, Utah, their final Western Athletic Conference regular-season game, 61-54. With this loss included, the Redhawks stand at 13-16 overall and 5-9 in the WAC standings.
“They beat us up inside. We didn’t fight them hard enough in that first half,” said Cameron Dollar, Seattle University men’s basketball team. “We got into the bonus late in the second half, but we should’ve been in the bonus in the first half and that’s not on the refs, that’s on us. I thought they were tougher than us in that first half.” In the first half of the game Utah Valley lead by seven points.
Both teams had something to lose. This counted as the end to Seattle University’s regular-season and for the Wolverines, this was their senior night. Losing meant that Seattle University would lower its overall seasonal game statistic and for UVU losing meant the seniors had to walk off their home court with a loss to complete their college basketball experience.
Morgan Means, freshman guard for the Redhawks, seemed to be the highlight of the night, contributing to the team a total of six eld goals and four 3-pointers. William Powell, senior forward for the Redhawks, didn’t stay behind. Powell helped the team with a total of four field goals. Finishing with five assists senior forward Emmanuel Chibuogwu helped the Redhawk’s fight for the win.
“I thought we played too slow, especially in the first half. I asked them at halftime, ‘who told you to walk it out?’ ‘I didn’t tell you to walk it out,’” said Price. “Especially in the grind it out when you get beat up a little bit. We got some guys that can shoot it so I want to push it a little more and get inside. Means did that in the second half, but we could’ve done that in the first half.”
Utah Valley lost against Seattle University in their first WAC game of the season, on Saturday, Feb. 4, at KeyArena, 63-50. A game in which Powell completed six eld goals, and Brendan Westendorf, senior guard for the Redhawks, complete four field goals, two 3-pointers and five assists. Compared to that game, UVU’s senior guard Jordan Poydras, brought more grit into the game. He scored two more field goals, two more 3-pointers and two more three throws.
“At this stage in the game, we should be smarter and not miss cues where we have an opportunity to get to the file line and we didn’t do that,” said Dollar. “But we’re going to be ready to do that.”
Both teams will face each other in game one in the 2017 WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 9, at 2 p.m. to compete in the quarterfinal.
Yesenia may be reached at
[email protected]
