FINAL ROAD TRIP: Seattle University makes its final road trip of the 2011-12 season, heading to Fresno State to face the Bulldogs Thursday night. The Redhawks look to extend a four-game winning streak, but Fresno State has won four straight games on its home floor coming into this contest.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
Seattle University
- Guard: #5 Cervante Burrell - 5-10, 170 - Sr.
- Guard: #10 Sterling Carter - 6-0, 200 - So.
- Forward: #2 Aaron Broussard - 6-5, 225 - Sr.
- Forward: #12 Clarence Trent - 6-6, 225 - So.
- Forward: #25 Eric Wallace - 6-7, 233 - Sr.
THE UC DAVIS GAME: Seattle University recovered from a slow start, opening the second half by outscoring UC Davis 26-4 on its way to a 73-59 victory over the Aggies Monday night at KeyArena, the Redhawks' fourth victory in a row. Aaron Broussard led Seattle U with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Eric Wallace finished with 12 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots. Prince Obasi contributed 12 points off the bench, and Cervante Burrell collected 11 points, three rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Harrison DuPont gave the Aggies a seven-point lead one minute into the second half, but Seattle U suddenly found the range offensively, scoring 11 unanswered points to take a four-point advantage, and then outscoring UC Davis 15-1 over the next five-and-a-half minutes to extend the lead to 56-39 with 12:05 remaining in the second half. After Josh Ritchart hit a three-pointer, the Redhawks went on an 11-3 scoring run over the next four minutes to take their biggest lead at 73-49 with five minutes remaining in the game. The Aggies scored the final 10 points of the game to close their deficit, but Seattle U was able to hold off the rally by milking the clock on every possession and grabbing the necessary defensive rebounds in the final two minutes. Clarence Trent and Carter each finished with eight points and six rebounds, with Trent also earning four steals in the contest.
SCOUTING FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs come into Thursday's game with a 12-16 overall record after defeating Cal State Northridge in the BracketBuster game Saturday, 62-49. Fresno State is 8-2 at the Save Mart Center, including four straight home victories heading into the game against Seattle U. The Bulldogs are scoring 65.0 points per game and giving up 64.5 points per contest. As a team, Fresno State is shooting 41.4 percent from the field, including 32.2 percent from behind the three-point line, and 72.8 percent from the free throw line. Kevin Olekaibe leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game. He is currently 32nd in Division I in three-pointers made per game at 2.8, plus he is shooting 79.5 percent from the free throw line. Jonathan Wills is contributing 10.3 points per game thanks in part to his free throw shooting, as he is 41st in the country at 85.9 percent. Jerry Brown leads the team in rebounding with 5.5 boards per game to go along with a 9.5 points per game scoring average. Steven Shepp is dishing out a team-high 4.8 assists per contest.
SEATTLE U VS. FRESNO STATE: Seattle University and Fresno State are facing each other for the fifth time in history, with the all-time series tied at 2-2. On Dec. 10, 1960, in Portland, Ore., Seattle U defeated Fresno State, 104-73. On Nov. 25, 2008, Seattle U traveled to Fresno, Calif., for its first regular season game against a Division I opponent since starting the reclassification process. The Bulldogs used a significant rebounding and shooting advantage to pull away with a 79-58 victory at the Save Mart Center. Chris Gweth led Seattle U with 16 points and five steals, while Sylvester Seay paced the Bulldogs with 22 points and Paul George notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. At KeyArena on Nov. 19, 2009, on the night that the court was named in honor of Elgin Baylor, Cervante Burrell converted on a layup with eight seconds left in regulation to give the Redhawks an 85-84 victory over the Bulldogs. Last season, Seattle U returned to the Save Mart Center, but Fresno State pulled away with an 86-56 victory. Five players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs, led by Kevin Olekaibe with 17 points. Sterling Carter led the Redhawks with 16 points, while Aaron Broussard contributed 12 points.
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Aaron Broussard is now 34th in Division I in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game. As a team, the Redhawks is fourth in the country in rebounding (40.9 rpg) and 43rd in scoring (74.5 ppg).