REDHAWKS LOOK FOR FIVE IN A ROW: Seattle University returns home after a victory over Chicago State to face the UC Riverside Highlanders. The Redhawks are looking for their fifth straight win, which would be their longest winning streak of the season after two previous four-game winning streaks. Seattle U has previously faced UC Riverside one other time, falling to the Highlanders at their home, 65-56, on Nov. 19, 2010.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
Seattle University
G: #1 Sylvia Shephard - 5-10 - So.
G: #5 Elle Kerfoot - 5-7 - Sr.
G: #11 Talisa Rhea - 5-11 - Sr.
F: #14 Ashley Ward - 5-11 - So.
C: #41 Kacie Sowell - 6-2 - So.
THE CHICAGO STATE GAME: Fueled by Kacie Sowell's 12th double-double of the season and four other double-digit scoring performances, the Redhawks cruised by Chicago State, 81-45, to notch their fourth straight road and overall win. Seattle U took the early lead, scoring 11 points in the first minute and a half, and going up 18-7 at the 14:33 mark. The Redhawks led by as much as 38 two different times, both at the 2:21 mark after a free throw by Brenda Adhiambo and at the 1:31 mark after a layup by Renee Dillard-Brown. Sowell led the Redhawks with 17 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 5-for-6 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free throw line. Talisa Rhea added 12 points, Adhiambo added 11, and Ashley Ward and Daidra Brown each added 10. Freshman Jasmine Lemon recorded a career-high three assists and three steals. Paris Williams led all players with 22 points for the Cougars and added seven rebounds and two steals. As a team, the Redhawks shot 48.5 percent (33-for-68) and held Chicago State to just 31.4 percent from the field (16-for-51). The Redhawks outrebounded the Cougars, 55-22.
JOIN THE REDHAWKS FOR PRE-GAME "CHALK TALK" ON FEB. 26: At 1:30 p.m., 30 minutes prior to tipoff, fans are invited to a pre-game "Chalk Talk" with assistant coach Dorena Bingham. This will be a great time for fans to ask questions, get an inside look at Seattle U women's basketball, and for coaches to gain tips they can use in their own coaching careers. Fans wanting to attend can follow signs from the Connolly Center lobby.
SCOUTING UC RIVERSIDE: The Highlanders enter Sunday's game with a 5-22 record and will play their second road game of the week versus the Redhawks, after falling at Cal State Fullerton, 66-43, on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The Highlanders hope to snap a five-game losing streak. As a team, the Highlanders are scoring 55.4 points per game and giving up 67.1 points per contest. UC Riverside is also shooting 37.6 percent from the field, including 29.2 percent from behind the three-point line, and 71.3 percent from the free-throw line. Tre'Shonti Nottingham leads the team with 14.4 points per game, 79 assists, and 78 steals. Natasha Hadley leads the team with 21 blocks and is shooting a team-high 44.8 percent from the field.
SEATTLE U VS. UC RIVERSIDE: Seattle U has previously faced UC Riverside one other time, during the 2010-11 season. On Nov. 19, 2010, the Redhawks visited UC Riverside and came away with a 65-56 loss. A slow start by the Redhawks, who only shot 20 percent (4-for-20) in the first half, proved too much to overcome as they found themselves in a 17-point hole at halftime. UC Riverside went on a 12-0 run to start the second half and were up by as many as 29 points, 44-15, with 17:39 remaining in the second half. With just under five minutes to go, Seattle U went on a 10-0 run, trying to make the comeback. Back-to-back baskets by Elle Kerfoot and Sylvia Shephard brought the Redhawks within nine, but this proved to be the final margin. This game marked Kacie Sowell's first career start, in which she recorded four points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a block. Kerfoot led the team with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
HONORS: College Sports Madness has named a Seattle U player the Independent Player of the Week eight times this season. Sophomore Kacie Sowell has picked up the honor four times: Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Jan. 3, and Feb. 6. Talisa Rhea has been a weekly honoree on Dec. 12, Dec. 19, and Feb. 20 and Sylvia Shephard received the honor Feb. 13. All three have also been named to the Jesuit Honor Roll by Jesuit Basketball Spotlight. Rhea picked up the honor Dec. 19 after the Redhawks' victory over fellow Jesuit school Santa Clara, Sowell earned the honor Jan. 3 after her MVP performance in the Holiday Hoops Tournament, and Shepherd earned the honor Feb. 13 after her career high 23 points and 13 rebounds at Portland State.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Kacie Sowell is third in the nation in field goal percentage, hitting 60.5 percent of her field goal attempts. By hitting 85.9 percent of her free throw attempts, Ashley Ward is 25th in Division I in free throw percentage, while Talisa Rhea is tied for 24th in the country in assists per game (5.4).
THREE-POINT QUEEN: With a three-pointer in the first minute of the second half Jan. 14 against Chicago State, Elle Kerfoot became Seattle U's all-time leader in made three-pointers (183), passing the previous mark of 168 set by Ashley Payne from 2003 to 2007. On Feb. 9 at Portland State, Kerfoot became the 11th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.