Behind a double-double performance by sophomore Sylvia Shephard (Alta Loma, Calif.) with career highs in both points and rebounds, the Seattle University women's basketball team won its third straight road game with a 90-79 victory over Portland State Thursday night at the Stott Center.
Shephard shot 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-4 from behind the three-point line, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line to finish with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Elle Kerfoot (Surrey, B.C.) hit four three-pointers as she scored 17 points, becoming the 11th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark in a career. Talisa Rhea (Juneau, Alaska) contributed 16 points and six assists, and Brenda Adhiambo (Mombasa, Kenya) was a force in the second half, scoring all 13 of her points after halftime.
Portland State (13-10) grabbed the early advantage, jumping out to a 16-6 lead with 13:47 left in the first half thanks in part to three-pointers by Kate Lanz and Eryn Jones. Rhea started the Seattle U comeback with five straight points, and Shephard scored eight straight Redhawk points to bring her squad to within one at 20-19 with eight minutes remaining before halftime.
Rhea hit a three-pointer to put Seattle U ahead, 24-22, and Kerfoot answered a jumper by Allie Brock with three straight three-pointers that started a 16-0 Redhawk run to put the visitors ahead, 44-29. The Redhawks would shoot 53.6 percent from the field in the first half, including 6-of-9 from behind the three-point line, and 10-of-12 from the free throw line to take a 46-33 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
The two teams basically traded baskets early in the second half before Portland State made its final charge, scoring six unanswered points to pull to within four at 63-59. The Vikings had two chances to close the gap even further, but they could not convert, and Adhiambo made back-to-back baskets to start a 12-4 Redhawk scoring run that extended Seattle U's lead back to 12 at 75-63 with 6:11 left in regulation.
A three-pointer by Jones and a free throw from Allison Greene brought the Vikings to within six at 81-75, but Jones missed a three-pointer with 1:33 remaining in the second half, and the Redhawks went 9-for-10 from the free throw line in the final minute-and-a-half to put the game away. For the game, Seattle U hit 23-of-30 attempts from the charity stripe and won the rebounding battle, 42-28, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second chance points.
Kacie Sowell (Ventura, Calif.) contributed eight points and nine rebounds, but she failed to reach double figures in scoring for the first time this season. However, the efforts of Shephard and Adhiambo, among others, helped pick up the slack as the Redhawks produced their highest point total of the season.
Four players scored in double figures for Portland State, led by Courtney VanBrocklin with 19 points. Lanz finished with 17 points and five rebounds, Jones contributed 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Greene scored 14 points off the bench for the Vikings.
Seattle University (14-9) will welcome Utah Valley to the Connolly Center North Court Saturday, Feb. 18, for a 4 p.m. start. It is the annual Pink Game, with proceeds from ticket sales and special concessions benefiting breast cancer research.