Behind another career scoring performance from senior Aaron Broussard (Federal Way, Wash.), as well as increased pressure on both ends of the floor, Seattle University defeated Nebraska Omaha, 91-72, Thursday night in the second game of the Elgin Baylor Classic at KeyArena.
Broussard shot 12-of-20 from the field and made all six of his free throw attempts for 31 points, eclipsing the 29-point effort he produced last week against nationally-ranked Virginia. He also pulled down 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Eric Wallace (Winston-Salem, N.C.) contributed 19 points, six rebounds, and three blocked shots.
"With some of the presses we have been doing recently, we have to have the energy in order for them to work. If we just lay back, then the other team is going to beat us up the court. We have put together two good performances back-to-back with the press, and that makes us play with a lot more energy," Broussard said.
Seattle U scored the first five points of the game, but Mitch Albers of Nebraska Omaha scored seven unanswered points to give the Mavericks a 9-7 lead. Albers hit a three-pointer with 13:30 left in the first half to give UNO a 16-14 lead, but a layup from Allen Tate (Hobbs, N.M.) and a three-pointer by Chad Rasmussen (University Place, Wash.) less than a minute later gave the Redhawks the lead for good.
Nebraska Omaha (6-9) came within two twice in the first half, but Seattle U pulled away, outscoring the Mavericks 15-8 over the final four-and-a-half minutes of the half to take a 58-48 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Redhawks pulled away in the second half, going on a 14-3 run over the first three minutes of the second half, punctuated by a dunk from Wallace, to increase their lead to 72-51.
Clarence Trent (Tacoma, Wash.) finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and two steals, while Prince Obasi (Reseda, Calif.) collected seven points, four rebounds, and five assists. As a team, Seattle U shot 43.9 percent (36-of-82) from the field, including 4-of-12 from behind the three-point line, and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the free throw line, plus the Redhawks won the rebounding battle, 51-37.
"Tonight we showed our aggressiveness and willingness to attack the rim, and we were confident to go out, be assertive, and make plays. It has been a team effort, including the guys coming off the bench, providing energy when we needed it, as everyone is beginning to understand what it takes as we continue to grow," Seattle U head coach Cameron Dollar said.
Albers led Nebraska Omaha with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, while John Karhoff scored 14 points and Isiah Gandy earned 11 points off the bench. The Mavericks shot 44.3 percent (27-of-61) from the field and 50.0 percent (12-of-24) from the free throw line, plus they committed 20 turnovers while forcing the Redhawks into only 12 turnovers.
In the first game of the Elgin Baylor Classic, San Jose State defeated Coppin State, 81-66, behind a school-record 16 made three-pointers. Keith Shamburger led the way for the Spartans with 18 points and seven assists, while Calvin Douglas and D.J. Brown scored 14 points apiece. Akeem Ellis paced Coppin State with 24 points, plus he pulled down seven rebounds, and Antonio Williams notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.
Seattle University (3-8) will face San Jose State, a future Western Athletic Conference opponent, in the fourth and final game of the Elgin Baylor Classic Friday, Dec. 30, at 8:15 p.m. at KeyArena. Baylor was in attendance for Thursday's game, received a commemorative basketball signed by the 2011-12 Seattle U squad, and plans to be on hand for Friday's contest as well.