Seattle University sports had an up-and-down week, going 8-8 across the six teams that competed. The strongest performances came from women’s tennis and men’s basketball, which both won every game they played.
Men’s Basketball Picks up Two Wins on the Road
The men’s basketball team won both of their games, including a victory over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Feb. 15 and a last-second win over the Utah Tech Trailblazers Feb. 17. The team improved to 16-10, and their 9-6 record in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is good for third place.
In the Southern Utah game, the Redhawks rode a dominant first half to a 78-68 victory. The team was led in scoring by Redshirt Sophomore guard John Christofilis, who had 25 points, including a game-high five three-pointers. Redshirt Senior guard Cameron Tyson also contributed 18 points and capped off the team’s second victory over Southern Utah this season.
Two days later, Seattle U narrowly defeated Utah Tech 66-65 in a game in which they trailed by more than 15 points in the first half. Led by a 16-point, 13-rebound performance from Tyson, the Redhawks clawed back to build a 62-55 lead with two minutes left in the game. But after a strong Trailblazers rally, Seattle U was trailing 65-64 with 15 seconds left. The Redhawks would steal the game when Junior forward Kobe Williamson put back an offensive rebound for two with just a second left, his second game-winner this month.
There are five WAC games left for Seattle U, with a Feb. 22 matchup with Stephen F. Austin State University at the Redhawk Center kicking off the final stretch.
Women’s Basketball Splits on the Week, Wins Two in a Row for the First Time This Season
This week saw the women’s basketball team host two games at the Redhawk Center, splitting the competitions. With a record of 3-21, including 3-12 in conference play, the Redhawks currently sit in last place in the WAC.
A 75-71 victory over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Feb. 15 saw the Redhawks win two games in a row for the first time this season following their 61-57 win over Tarleton State University Feb. 10. The team was led by strong performances from Sophomore guard Makayla Moore and Junior guard Julianna Walker, who scored 19 points each. Sophomore forward Mya Moore and Senior guard Peyton Howard also finished scoring in double figures, with Moore adding 13 points and Howard contributing 11.
The team then lost to the Utah Tech Trailblazers 89-75 Feb. 17, snapping their two-game winning streak. The Redhawks kept the contest close in the first quarter, but the Trailblazers ultimately controlled the game the rest of the way. Despite the loss, Seattle U was led by a strong performance from Senior forward Irena Korolenko, who scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and added a block and a steal.
The Redhawks will continue their final games of WAC play Feb. 22 at Stephen F. Austin.
Men’s Tennis Hosts Home Opener, But Falls to 0-2 on the Week
The men’s tennis team lost 4-0 to the Oregon Ducks Feb. 11, splitting their road trip from the previous week 1-1. Juniors Filip Stipic and Michael Frank and Sophomore Yu-Han Hsieh played singles for the Redhawks, but none earned even a set win on the day. In doubles, Stipic and Hsieh teamed up and Frank played alongside Senior Julian Worn, but both tandems couldn’t muster wins in their respective matchups.
They proceeded to host their home opener at the Mercer Island Country Club on Feb 17, hosting the Arkansas Razorbacks. Against another tough team, the Redhawks would lose 4-0 again, once again lacking a set win during the match. Juniors Veselin Kiselkov, Dario Ristovski and Frank played singles. Kiselkov and Hsieh made up one doubles team, while Stipic and Redshirt junior Jun Sasagawa made up the other.
The Redhawks have a three-week break before their next match, in which they will play Idaho and Idaho State March 9 and 10, respectively. They currently sit with a 2-7 record.
Women’s Tennis Sweeps Week with Wins in Spokane
With victories over the Eastern Washington Eagles and Gonzaga Bulldogs, the women’s tennis team has now won three of their last four matches. The two victories helped the Redhawks improve to a 4-3 record this season.
Seattle U defeated the Eagles in a close match 4-3. The team was led by a doubles win by Freshman Lamija Avdic and Sophomore Lola Tavcar, and singles wins from Freshman Anastasia Nikolova, Junior Liliya Dimova and Avdic.
The team continued their positive momentum in a dominant 5-2 victory over Gonzaga. The pairings of Avdic and Tavcar and Freshman Yuna Kadowaki and Dimova claimed two doubles victories for the Redhawks. The team also excelled in singles play, with Kadowaki, Dimova, Avdic and Junior Jade Quintana claiming victories.
The strong week sets the Redhawks up to face the Washington Huskies Feb. 21.
Baseball Opens Season Against UC Davis
Seattle U Baseball pulled off a 7-6 win over the University of California Davis Aggies Feb. 16 to kick off their season. In what was the first game of a doubleheader, Senior outfielder Cole Kleckner led the team with a three-hit, three-run performance. Senior utility player Derek Gellos also had a strong game, batting in three runs on two hits for the Redhawks.
Despite Seattle U’s hot start to the second game of the doubleheader, the Aggies rolled through the Redhawks for a 13-4 beatdown. Two days later, the team dropped the series finale 8-4, giving them a 1-2 record on the season.
Kleckner has started the season on fire, tallying nine total hits over his first three games for a batting average of .750. Sophomore pitcher Luke Alwood also has started the season strong, pitching five scoreless innings and striking out seven Feb. 18.
Softball Goes 2-3 at the Silicon Valley Classic
This past weekend, Seattle U Softball played in its second non-conference tournament of the year, the Silicon Valley Classic Feb. 16-18 in California. The Redhawks played in five games, going 2-3 overall.
The team lost their first three games of the tournament, falling to the Cal Poly Mustangs 1-3 and 4-6, and losing to the San Jose State Spartans 0-3. Then, on the last day of the tournament, the Redhawks grinded out two close wins. The team defeated the Santa Clara Broncos 5-4, with Junior outfielder Tai Wilson and Sophomore catcher Ava Sin each contributing a three-hit, one-RBI game. Senior pitcher Stefanie Madrigal pitched a complete game, allowing just one run and striking out four.
Seattle U also bested the Nevada Wolf Pack 6-3 in a comeback victory. Senior infielder Lily Garcia tied the game in the sixth inning with a one-run single, and Mikee Morris capped off a strong performance with a two-run single.
