Despite a career-high scoring performance by junior guard Isiah Umipig (Federal Way, Wash.), Seattle University was unable to overcome its own turnovers and Nebraska Omaha’s solid second-half shooting from both the field and the free throw line, as the Mavericks held off the Redhawks in men’s collegiate basketball action, 76-69, Sunday afternoon at Ralston Arena.
Umipig scored 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field, including 6-of-11 from behind the three-point line, and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. It was his second game of the season with at least 30 points and broke his previous personal record of 34 points set at Cal State Fullerton against Redlands Nov. 11, 2011.
Seattle U scored the first four points of the game on baskets by Umipig and Clarence Trent (Tacoma, Wash.), while Nebraska Omaha missed its first five shots of the game before John Karhoff put the Mavericks on the board five minutes into the game with a three-pointer. That basket started an 8-0 Maverick run that put the home team in the lead, but Jarell Flora (Bremerton, Wash.) stopped the run with a three-pointer of his own.
Neither team was able to score over the next four minutes, but then the lead seesawed back and forth until C.J. Carter scored five straight points to give Nebraska Omaha a four-point lead at 15-11. The Redhawks responded with a 13-2 scoring run, led by Umipig with eight points during the run, to open a seven-point advantage, but Justin Simmons hit a long three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut the Maverick deficit to 26-22.
Nebraska Omaha (9-4) cut the Redhawk lead to two on a Carter basket to open the second half, but a three-pointer from Trent and two free throws by Umipig helped Seattle U reestablish a seven-point advantage. The Mavericks scored 10 unanswered points, the last four by Marcus Tyus, to pull ahead, 37-33, six minutes into the second half.
Umipig hit three three-pointers to give Seattle U a 43-42 advantage halfway through the second half, but Mike Rostampour hit his own long distance shot with seven minutes to go to cap a 6-0 Maverick run. Nebraska Omaha extended its lead to 13 points at 64-51 thanks to a 14-4 scoring run over a three-minute span, helped by Devin Patterson making all 10 of his free throw attempts.
The Redhawks did not quit, outscoring UNO 14-3 over the next minute to pull to within two at 67-65, with Umipig capping off the run with a three-pointer. However, the Mavericks were able to hold off the rally by going 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final minute, snapping Seattle U’s five-game winning streak.
Trent also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points to go along with five rebounds, while Deshaun Sunderhaus (Conyers, Ga.) contributed seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots. The Redhawks enjoyed a 39-28 rebounding advantage, but committed 24 turnovers that led to 29 Maverick points.
Four players scored in double figures for Nebraska Omaha, led by Carter with 17 points and Karhoff with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Patterson and Simmons each finished with 12 points as the Mavericks shot 50 percent from the field in the second half (13-of-26) and made 81.3 percent of their free throw attempts (26-of-32).
Seattle University (8-4) takes a break to celebrate Christmas before returning to action next Monday, Dec. 30, at KeyArena at Seattle Center against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos starting at 7 p.m. Tickets for all remaining Seattle U home basketball games, including the special eight-game WAC PACK, are on sale at GoSeattleU.com.