"I am very proud of the team," said head coach Joan Bonvicini. "I thought we battled and we showed a lot of mental toughness."
In a seesaw battle, especially in the second half, two free throws by Ashley Brown (Kirkland, Wash.) put SeattleU ahead, 40-39, with 10:44 remaining in the half. Kristi Kingma would hit a three-pointer 16 seconds later to put Washington up for good, and back-to-back layups by Sami Whitcomb gave the Huskies the cushion they needed the rest of the way.
Brown led the way with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers during the game, while Cassidy Murillo (Yakima, Wash.) went 6-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-3 from the three-point line, for 16 points and a season-high, along with seven assists.
"I thought [Ashley and Cassidy] played outstanding," Bonvicini said. "This was Cassidy's best game since I began coaching her. She just ran the team and played like a senior. She played like a senior who wanted to win and Ashley was the same way."
Maggie McCarthy (Burlingame, Calif.) finished with eight points and eight rebounds, Tatiana Heck (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) contributed six points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Samantha Messersmith (Harold, Calif.) added four points, three rebounds, and three steals off the bench.
In a game with seven ties and ten lead changes, a three-pointer by Brown and a jumper from Heck allowed SeattleU to take a three-point lead at 34-31 with 17:32 left in the second half. Washington answered with a layup by Mollie Williams and a three-pointer from Christina Rozier for a two-point Husky lead five minutes into the second half.
Washington (4-4) received contributions from several people, led by Mackenzie Argens with 10 points and Kingma with nine points, four rebounds, and four assists. Rozier earned eight points and three steals, Whitcomb collected seven points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Regina Rogers picked up seven points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots.
SeattleU shot 38 percent (19-of-50) from the field, including 9-of-20 from behind the three-point line, and 75 percent (6-of-8) from the free throw line. Washington won the rebounding battle, 39-27, and shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the field, including 6-of-14 from the three-point line, and 50 percent (4-of-8) from the free throw line.
Seattle University (2-9) will continue this three-game home stand against Saint Mary's College Monday, Dec. 14, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Connolly Center. Live stats and a live audio broadcast will be available through GoSeattleU.com.