“I thought the first half was the best half we’ve played all year,” said head coach Joan Bonvicini. “We were unselfish, shared the ball, and shot the three better than we have all year. It was a good game, they’re a scrappy team. And we were able to get everyone in, which was a goal of ours. We’re playing unselfishly, which I like, and we’re continuing to improve so we just need to keep building. I thought we were better today than we were Thursday and every day we get a little bit better.”
UTPA took the early 5-2 lead as Shawnte’ Goff opened the contest with a fastbreak layup and Cherrell Price hit a three at 18:33, but this would prove to be the Broncs’ only lead of the game.
Kacie Sowell (Ventura, Calif.) drove in two straight layups as the Redhawks opened up a 19-5 run to take a 21-10 lead over the next eight minutes. Sowell scored six points on the run and the Redhawks hit three straight three pointers with contributions from Sylvia Shephard (Alta Loma, Calif.), Kaylee Best (Seattle, Wash.), and Alexis Montgomery (Beaverton, Ore.).
Tonisha Walker ended a five-minute scoring draught for the Broncs with a three-pointer at 10:22 to bring UTPA back within single digits, 21-13, but Shephard hit two straight three’s to start a 17-2 Redhawk run. Ashley Ward (Irvine, Calif.) added a three at 5:43 and Makenna Clark (Lake Tapps, Wash.) hit two straight to give Seattle U a 38-16 lead at 3:44.
Alexandria Hill and Goff hit three’s for the Broncs to end the half but SU would finish with a 7-3 run capped off by a Shephard three-pointer with just seven seconds remaining as the Redhawks took a 45-23 lead into halftime.
Taelor Ross (Vancouver, Wash.) and Sowell combined for eight points to open the second half but three different Broncs hit three pointers as SU still led by more than 20, 53-32, by 17:45.
Montgomery and Goff traded layups before Seattle U went on a 9-0 run to lead, 64-36, at 12:23, their largest lead of the game. Ward hit a three and Sowell scored four points on the run.
The Broncs answered with three straight three pointers, including two straight by Laquita Garner, but still trailed, 68-46, at the 9:14 mark of the second half.
Renee Dillard-Brown hit a jumper at 8:47 and Wilma Afunugo (Plano, Texas) drove in a layup just a minute later before Ward and Shephard combined to go 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Cha’Zaye Wright drove in a layup for the Broncs bookended by Jasmine Thompson and Goff combining to also go 6-for-6 from the line as the Redhawks led, 77-55, with 3:32 remaining.
Kim Flournoy (San Diego, Calif.) tied her career high three-point total with a three-pointer with 2:39 remaining, scoring the Redhawks’ last seven points. Thompson made a three-point play with 26 seconds remaining, but the Redhawks came away with the 84-62 win, going 2-0 on the weekend.
From the field, Seattle U shot 63.3 percent (31-for-49) to UTPA’s 33.3 percent (18-for-54). SU also made a season-high 11 three-pointers (11-for-20) and shot 68.8 percent (11-for-16) from the line. The Redhawks also outrebounded the Broncs, 34-24.
Shephard led all players with 20 points while Sowell (16 pts) and Ward (10 pts) also scored in double figures for the Redhawks. Clark set a new season high with two three-pointers, while Flournoy hit her first of the season, and Afunugo tied her career high with six rebounds. Tatiana Howard (Gardena, Calif.) also made her first career appearance in the contest.
Seattle U (8-9, 3-1 WAC) hits the road next week to face Bakersfield on Thurs. Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. PT before heading to face Utah Valley on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT. The Redhawks return home to host Grand Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m.