Three players scored in double figures and the men’s basketball team held to 30 points under its season average to earn its seventh straight victory, a 67-53 win Tuesday night at the that clinches the team’s fourth straight winning season.
Michael Wright () picked up his fourth double-double in the last six games, leading SeattleU with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Chris Gweth (, ) hit three shots from behind the three-point line to finish with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Austen Powers () shot 5-of-6 from the field to collect 12 points and five rebounds.
A three-pointer by Drew Harris () with 11:13 remaining in the second half capped an 8-0 run that allowed SeattleU to go on top 55-39. Cascade College, having made one 9-0 run after SeattleU earned its biggest lead at 17 points (47-30) five minutes into the second half, went on a 10-0 run over the next five minutes to come within six at 55-49, but Wright scored the home team’s next six points and Gweth hit a three-pointer with 1:53 left in regulation to seal SeattleU’s tenth straight win at home.
“Another strong effort from Michael Wright both offensively and defensively allowed us to grind out our ninth home win this season,” head coach Joe Callero said.
Mike Boxley (, ) finished with six points, four rebounds, and three assists, and Taylor Olson () and Harris each hit two three-pointers to also score six points in the game. Shaun Burl (, ) contributed four points, four rebounds, eight assists, and three steals, while Aaron Broussard () also scored four points while pulling down five rebounds.
, designating this as an exhibition game, was led by Cornell Littlejohn, who hit six three-pointers to finish with 22 points and six rebounds. Jason McCall scored 11 points, and Jared Mace contributed nine points and five rebounds. hit 40.9 percent (18-of-44) of its field goal attempts, including 7-of-18 from the three-point line, but struggled at the free throw line, hitting only 10-of-20 chances from the charity stripe.
hit 41.1 percent (23-of-56) of its attempts from the field, including 8-of-20 from the three-point line, and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line. SeattleU won the rebounding battle, 40-27, and forced the Thunderbirds into 20 turnovers, but committed 17 turnovers of its own, the highest single-game total of the season for the Redhawks.
The seven-game winning streak Seattle University is currently on is the longest since winning eight in a row to advance to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament. The current ten-game home winning streak is the longest since the team won 12 in a row at home during the 1984-85 season before losing to Joe Callero and the Central Washington Wildcats, 90-75, during the NAIA District I playoffs.
(15-6) will look to complete a perfect season at home Saturday, Feb. 14, when comes to town in the second game of a doubleheader with the women’s teams facing off at 5:30 p.m. at the . Before the men’s game, Burl, Powers, Wright, and Leigh Swanson () will be honored in Senior Night ceremonies.