Seattle University Women’s Basketball defeated the University of San Diego 68-62 in the Redhawk Center Jan. 8, due to a strong fourth quarter and consistent senior leadership. This was Seattle U’s first West Coast Conference win of the year, following a number of close losses at the beginning of the season.
“It’s definitely really big,” graduate student guard Ella Brubaker said. “We’ve had a lot of close games and just couldn’t really pull it out, so it’s nice to finally get that first conference win.”
Although the Redhawks entered the game determined to defend their home court, the first three quarters were a back-and-forth fight. Throughout the game, neither side had a lead of more than six points with the momentum changing constantly due to mistakes, defensive stops and second chance opportunities.
In the first quarter, Seattle U set the tone defensively by limiting San Diego’s shooting and causing early defensive turnovers. Midway through the quarter, Redshirt Senior forward Tamia Stricklin made a three-pointer to start the offense, but San Diego managed to stay within reach by attacking the paint and taking advantage of extra possessions.
With only a 16-15 advantage going into the second quarter, the Redhawks maintained their momentum through team-wide scoring. Sophomore guard Sydnie Rodriguez was a strong force inside, grabbing rebounds and taking advantage during transition.
“I think us sharing the ball really helped,” Rodriguez said. “We emphasized that a lot. Everyone having confidence in each other goes a long way.”
San Diego’s 39 rebounds kept the Toreros close despite Seattle U’s 7-8 efficiency from the free throw line. With a 28-25 lead at the half, Seattle U knew changes were needed. After halftime, San Diego was aggressive and briefly took the lead, 44-42, through a scoring run that threw off Seattle U’s offensive flow. The Toreros held their lead going into the fourth quarter.
“We kind of had a lull in the third,” Burbaker said. “So it was about staying together and finishing strong.”
The game was defined by that finish. Stricklin, who scored eight points in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, powered Seattle U to a new start. With the help of Freshman guard Jana Vesic, she made two straight three-pointers that lit up the crowd and gave the Redhawks a 50-44 lead.
“Resilience,” Stricklin said. “They had their runs, but we had to keep playing all 40 minutes.”
In the last 10 minutes, Seattle U shot almost perfectly, making 90% from the field and going 4-4 from beyond the three-point line. Before San Diego made a late comeback, the Redhawks stretched their lead to 62-52.
Brubaker kept up her strong play in the closing minutes, scoring six points in the fourth quarter and making five of five free throws to keep the lead. She and Stricklin ended the game with 20 points apiece.
Rodriguez finished with nine points and a career high of 11 rebounds, just missing a double-double while maintaining the defense late in the game. Vesic scored nine points and pulled five rebounds while playing key minutes off the bench.
In addition to continuing their outstanding free-throw performance by shooting 89% from the line, Seattle U finished the night hitting 43% from the field and 41% from the three-point range. The Redhawks made more assists than San Diego and caused 14 turnovers. Players were quick to point out that there is still room for improvement despite the win.
“Cleaning up the little details,” Rodriguez said. “Rebounding, boxing out, being locked in on personnel. It’s really a little bit of everything.”
For a team that started the season playing against top schools, this win represented more than just a place in the standings.
“We’re moving up from here,” Rodriguez said. “Defending the home court is always big.”
As the season continues, Seattle U will continue to build on Thursday’s performance in the hopes that a turnaround will happen in the second half of the season. For the time being, the Redhawks have what they’ve been looking for: proof that their work is paying off. The team will head to Corvallis on Saturday to play Oregon State. Seattle U WBB is now near the bottom of the WCC standings (1-4) following their WCC opener, but they will use the momentum from this win to move up.
