The Seattle University women’s basketball team dominated every facet of the game, winning the battle on the boards and forcing numerous turnovers and missed shots from Seattle Pacific on its way to a 70-56 victory Tuesday night at the Connolly Center, snapping a 21-game losing streak to the Falcons that lasted over 13 years.
Breanna Salley (, ) again led the way for , scoring 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field, plus pulling down six rebounds and earning two steals, an assist, and a blocked shot. Chelsie Morrison (, ) contributed 15 points, four rebounds, and three steals, and Mercedes Alexander () earned nine points and ten rebounds in 18 minutes of action off the bench.
Seattle University took an early 16-6 lead six minutes into the game before Seattle Pacific went on a 16-4 run over the next eight minutes, with back-to-back three-pointers by Kelsey Burns and Jordan Harazin giving the Falcons a 22-20 advantage. SeattleU responded by holding Seattle Pacific scoreless for the last 5:47 of the first half while scoring eight unanswered points to take a 28-22 lead into halftime.
After scored the first eight points of the second half to increase its lead to 36-22, Seattle Pacific scored nine unanswered points to come within five at 36-31 with 14:46 remaining in the second half. That would be as close as the Falcons would get the rest of the night, as Alexander and Salley combined to send the Redhawks on a 10-0 run to extend the lead back to 15.
Seattle Pacific (3-1), ranked 15th in the latest Division II coaches poll released earlier today, was led by Daesha Henderson, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Burns was the only other Falcon to score in double figures, finishing with ten points as Seattle Pacific was held to 34.5 percent field goal shooting for the game.
had its lowest turnover total of the season, losing the ball 14 times, while forcing the Falcons into 20 turnovers. The Redhawks earned 17 offensive rebounds on their way to winning the battle of the boards, 48-37, and they improved their field goal shooting from 30.6 percent in the first half to 46.9 percent in the second half.
This was the first victory for over Seattle Pacific since Nov. 21, 1995, when SeattleU earned an 86-82 win at SPU. Before tonight, the last SeattleU win over Seattle Pacific at the came on Nov. 22, 1994, in a 93-91 shootout.
(2-3) heads to for the weekend, first facing Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:05 p.m., followed by a Sunday matinee at the beginning at 2 p.m. on Dec. 7. The Redhawks return home next Tuesday, Dec. 9, for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off against Montana Tech at the .