GAME #8: After the team’s most complete game of the young season, Seattle University heads to Southern California for two games over the weekend. First, the Redhawks face Cal State Northridge Thursday night at the Matadome. Seattle U is still looking for its first road victory of the season, but runs into a Northridge squad that, like the Redhawks, has yet to lose at home this year.
THE UC DAVIS GAME: A combination of solid defense and career-best offensive efforts from juniors Isiah Umipig and Shore Adenekan led to Seattle University’s 77-53 victory over UC Davis Monday night at KeyArena at Seattle Center. Umipig shot 8-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-11 from behind the three-point line, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line to finish with 30 points. Adenekan went 6-of-7 from the field on his way to a 16-point effort, plus he pulled down five rebounds and blocked five shots. UC Davis took a 6-2 lead four minutes into the game before Adenekan and Umipig combined on a 7-0 Redhawk run that put Seattle U in front, 9-6. After baskets by Georgi Funtarov and Iggy Nujic allowed the Aggies to retake the lead at 10-9, Adenekan and Umipig once again combined for six straight Redhawk points to put the home team on top for good. After the Aggies closed their deficit to two at 19-17 with 9:17 remaining in the first half on a layup by Josh Ritchart, the Redhawks rattled off 14 points in a row, starting with back-to-back dunks by Adenekan and punctuated by a three-pointer from Umipig. Seattle U would score the final five points of the first half on a three-pointer by Clarence Trent and two free throws by Umipig to go into the locker room at halftime on top, 38-20. Ritchart hit two three-pointers early in the second half as the Aggies went on a 9-2 scoring run to close the Redhawk lead to 11 at 40-29, but Umipig scored Seattle U’s next 10 points to extend the lead back to 17 at 50-33 six minutes into the second half. The Redhawks continued to increase their lead throughout the remainder of the game, scoring the final five points of the contest to create the final 24-point margin.