Sterling Carter (Seattle, Wash.) hit five three-point shots on his way to an 18-point first half, but he was held scoreless in the second half. Alex Jones (Phoenix, Ariz.) went 6-for-7 from the field as he scored 15 points along with four rebounds and five assists, while fellow senior Garrett Lever (Phoenix, Ariz.) collected nine points, eight rebounds, and three steals.
Carter hit three long distance baskets in the first nine minutes of the game to help Seattle U race out to a 24-12 lead. Down by nine with 4:23 remaining in the first half, Idaho chipped away at the Redhawk advantage, outscoring Seattle U 12-4 to come within one at 35-34 before another Carter three-pointer and a layup by Gavin Gilmore (Pasco, Wash.) helped the visitors hold onto a 40-37 lead at halftime.
After a layup by Lever gave Seattle U a five-point advantage one minute into the second half, the Vandals went on a 14-4 scoring run, helped by four straight three-pointers, to pull ahead, 53-48, with 15:12 left in regulation. Lever earned a layup and two free throws to pull the Redhawks into a 55-55 tie, but a three-pointer by Shawn Henderson gave Idaho the lead for good.
Back-to-back baskets by Cervante Burrell (Sacramento, Calif.) brought Seattle U within two at 61-59 with 7:32 remaining in the second half, but Stephen Madison would hit a layup and a three-pointer to extend Idaho's lead back to seven. The Vandals hit seven three-pointers in the second half and went 10-for-12 from the free throw line after halftime to ice the game.
Gilmore and Burrell each finished with eight points, with Burrell also dishing out five assists, and Aaron Broussard (Federal Way, Wash.) finished with seven points, five rebounds, and two assists. As a team, Seattle U shot 53.1 percent (26-of-49) from the field, including 6-of-18 from behind the three-point line, and 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the free throw line.
Idaho (18-12) was led by Deremy Geiger, who hit three long distance baskets and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line for 15 points, plus he dished out four assists and earned three steals. Henderson collected 13 points, three rebounds, and five assists, and Madison came off the bench to contribute 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
The Vandals won the rebounding battle, 27-24, and earned 23 assists on their 25 made field goals. Meanwhile, Seattle U finished with 18 assists and 18 turnovers while forcing Idaho into 17 turnovers.
Seattle University (11-19) will finish the 2010-11 season with a home game against Portland State Thursday, March 10, beginning at 7:10 p.m. at KeyArena at Seattle Center. It is Fan Appreciation Night as well as Senior Night, as Jones and Lever will be honored for the contributions they have made over the past two seasons. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Fred Meyer locations, and at the KeyArena Box Office.