The Seattle University men’s basketball team held a 21-point lead five minutes into the second half, but needed to make three free throws in the final 17 seconds to hold on for a 74-71 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay Friday evening at the Notre Dame de Namur Thanksgiving Tournament.
Seattle U held a 67-52 lead with 5:34 remaining in regulation, but Augie Johnston scored seven of his 20 points during a 13-2 run to cut the advantage to 69-65 with 2:16 left. Seattle missed a couple of free throws to give the Otters chances to continue the comeback, but the Redhawk defense stiffened and Cal State Monterey Bay missed several chances in the final two minutes.
After Jacob Kernodle made a layup to come within two points at 71-69 with 18 seconds left, Chris Gweth () made two free throws to extend the lead back to four. made two free throws, and then Shaun Burl (, ) made only one of two free throws, giving the Otters a chance to tie the game, but ’s three-point attempt was unsuccessful, allowing Seattle U to escape with the victory.
Burl led with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, including two three-pointers, and 3-of-5 shooting from the free throw line. Ryan Coldren (, ) contributed 11 points and Michael Wright (), earning a spot in the starting lineup, notching a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Mike Boxley (, ) and Michael Knight () each added eight points to the winning effort.
jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and then back-to-back three-pointers by Ricky Berry () extended the lead to seven points at 12-5. chipped away at the lead and eventually tied the game at 21-21 with 7:46 remaining before halftime. Three-pointers by Knight, Burl, and Taylor Olson (, ) re-established the lead for Seattle U, with Burl and Coldren combining for the last eight points of the first half to give a 40-28 lead at the intermission.
Seattle U continued to pressure the Otter defense, extending the lead early in the second half to 17 points. After a basket, back-to-back three-pointers by Burl and Coldren brought the lead up to 21 points at 54-33, causing the Otters to take a timeout. went on a 12-0 run to bring the deficit back to single digits, but Knight scored five straight points and Drew Harris (, ) hit a layup to extend ’s lead to 61-45.
Seattle University (3-0) continues play at the Notre Dame de Namur Thanksgiving Tournament Saturday, Nov. 24, against beginning at 5 p.m. Due to prior commitments, this will be the only game this season not broadcast on the KKNW website. The team then returns home for a contest against next Saturday, Dec. 1, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the .