MALIBU SANDS: After a ten-day break from competition, Seattle University begins the 2011 calendar year with a trip to California to face Pepperdine University. This is the first of four trips to the Golden State for the Redhawks during the month of January as Seattle U will play five of its next seven games away from home.
CHANNEL SURFING: Due to coverage of the Seattle Seahawks on 710 ESPN Seattle, Sunday's game between the Redhawks and the Waves will be broadcast live on sister station 770 KTTH The Truth. Dave Grosby and Gary Hill, Jr., will be courtside calling the action, starting with the pregame show at 3:45 p.m. before the scheduled 4:00 p.m. tip-off.
THE VIRGINIA GAME: Seattle University took the early lead and never let it go, holding off a late rally by the University of Virginia to earn a 59-53 victory at John Paul Jones Arena, the program's second victory over a major conference opponent on the road in as many seasons. Sterling Carter hit four three-pointers and led everyone with 19 points, while Aaron Broussard contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, Seattle U enjoyed its best shooting night of the season, hitting 50 percent (24-of-48) of its field goal attempts, plus the Redhawks won the rebounding battle, 36-32. After Virginia scored the first two points of the game, Seattle University went on a 9-0 scoring run, with Carter providing five of those points, to pull ahead, 9-2, four minutes into the contest. A jumper by KT Harrell and two free throws from Mustapha Farrakhan pulled the Cavaliers to within four at 12-8, but the Redhawks responded with an 8-2 run to extend their lead to 20-10 with 9:45 remaining in the first half. The second half began with the two teams trading baskets for the first eight minutes before a three-pointer by Broussard started a 6-0 run that helped Seattle U expand its lead to 15 points at 50-35 with 8:55 remaining in the second half. The Redhawks held the Cavaliers without a field goal for seven-and-a-half minutes midway through the second half as Virginia struggled in the shooting department, hitting only 30.2 percent (16-of-53) of its field goal attempts, including 2-of-20 from behind the three-point line.
SCOUTING PEPPERDINE: The Waves come into Sunday's game with a 5-11 overall record, including a 2-4 record at home. Pepperdine has lost three straight games, coming off a road trip in which it suffered losses at SEC school Alabama and at ACC member Miami. The Waves are scoring 68.9 points per game and giving up 74.8 points per contest. As a team, Pepperdine is shooting 41.4 percent from the field, including 32.5 percent from behind the three-point line, and 69.2 percent from the free throw line. Keion Bell leads the team in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game, currently 20th in the country in scoring average. Mychel Thompson is contributing 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, plus he leads the Waves with 21 steals and 19 blocked shots.
SEATTLE U VS. PEPPERDINE: This is the 31st meeting all-time between Seattle University and Pepperdine, with Seattle U holding a 19-11 series edge. The series began with consecutive games at Pepperdine in the 1951-52 season, with the two teams splitting the contests. Seattle U would win the next 11 meetings, starting with back-to-back victories in Seattle in the 1953-54 campaign. That streak would continue during Seattle U's first season as Pepperdine's conference foe in the 1971-72 season, with Seattle U scoring over 100 points in each of those games. Pepperdine broke through the next season, sweeping the season series in 1972-73. Pepperdine has won four of the last five meetings, including a 76-62 victory in the last meeting in the 1995-96 season.