“It was a good way to start the conference season,” said head coach Joan Bonvicini. “The first win is [key], especially on the road, and I’m proud of our players. We really showed our inside game and hit some three’s as well. The big thing is to build on this and continue to go a game at a time.”
Shephard and Taelor Ross (Vancouver, Wash.) combined for the first five points of the game and Ashley Ward (Irvine, Calif.) hit a three-pointer to give Seattle U the early 8-0 lead at 16:51.
Paris Williams and Cailin Nix quickly cut Chicago State’s deficit in half, but Kacie Sowell (Ventura, Calif.) drove in back-to-back layups and Ross hit a jumper at 13:43 as the Redhawks took their first double digit lead.
Makenna Clark (Lake Tapps, Wash.) and Tierra Williams traded jumpers and the Redhawks remained ahead by double digits until Layne Murphy brought the Cougars within seven, 19-12, with two straight baskets.
Ward hit both free throws at 9:22 to extend the Redhawk lead back out to double figures, 23-12, but the Cougars would come within as few as six, 23-17, thanks to a 5-0 CSU run.
Sowell and Ross drove in a pair of layups to extend SU’s lead again to 10, 27-17, at 7:12, and Clark hit a three at 6:47 to jumpstart a 11-3 run over the next three and a half minutes as the Redhawks led by 18, 38-20, at the final media timeout of the first half.
Chanel Wilson-Stewart and Sowell traded layups as the Redhawks remained ahead by 18 with 2:23 remaining and Sowell would extend the lead out to 20, 42-22, with just under two minutes before halftime.
Shephard was fouled shooting a three as the first half wound down and, going 2-for-3 from the line, put Seattle U ahead, 44-22, at halftime.
Sowell drove in a pair of layups to start the second half as the Redhawks more than doubled the Cougars’ tally and outscored CSU 9-5 before the second half’s first media timeout.
Shephard scored five straight and Clark hit both free shots to put Seattle U ahead, 60-27, with 13:45 left. Ross drove in a pair of layups with just over 11 minutes left while Sowell and Shephard combined for three straight layups as the Redhawks led, 73-36, at the 10-minute mark.
T. Williams and Nix combined for four straight jumpers over the next two minutes and the Cougars would go on a 12-4 run over the next four minutes, but would still trail, 77-48, with six minutes remaining.
Konner Harris scored her first points of the contest, hitting a three with 4:23 remaining, while Nix drove in a layup, but Wilma Afunugo (Plano, Texas) drove in a layup at 3:18 and Kaylee Best (Seattle, Wash.) hit a three as the shot clock expired to put SU ahead, 85-55, with 2:31 left in the game.
The Redhawks gave the Cougars two straight attempts at free points off fouls, but Seattle U came away with their first WAC win of the season, defeating Chicago State, 85-58.
Sowell led all players with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Shephard (12 pts), Ross (12 pts), and Ward (10 pts) also scored in double figures for the Redhawks. Afunugo and Clark tied their career highs with 10 and nine points, respectively. Nix and T. Williams led the Cougars with 15 points apiece.
From the field, Seattle U shot 65.3 percent (32-for-49) to Chicago State’s 40.7 percent, leading also from three-point land (50 percent to 14.3 percent) and from the free-throw line (76.2 percent to 54.5 percent). The Redhawks outrebounded the Cougars, 36-20, and led in assists, 25-8, and steals.
Seattle U (6-8, 1-0 WAC) heads to face Kansas City on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. CT/12 p.m. PT. Links to available live stats and media are on the women’s basketball schedule page at GoSeattleU.com.