“Our energy level was not nearly what I need it to be in the first half,” said head coach Joan Bonvicini. “We weren’t executing our game plan and we weren’t playing hard enough. I thought we played much better defensively in the second half and executed our game plan and Wilma [Afunugo] took them to task.”
The Redhawks would take their first lead of the game with just over five minutes left in the second half, 44-43, on a layup by Afunugo (Plano, Texas). Over a three minute span starting at the 5:37 mark, Afunugo would go on a 9-0 run as SU gained the lead.
A made free throw by Kaylee Best (Seattle, Wash.) and two straight pairs of free shots by Makenna Clark (Lake Tapps, Wash.) would seal the Redhawks’ 54-47 victory.
After SU tied the game early in the game, 2-2, after a Taelor Ross (Vancouver, Wash.) layup, the Vikings built their lead to eight, 18-10, by the 12:05 mark of the first half on three straight layups by Lariel Powell.
Ani Avanessian added back-to-back layups with just under three minutes before the halftime buzzer to build Portland State’s lead to double digits and they would lead by 11, 31-20, at the half.
Afunugo and Ross would combine for the Redhawks’ first nine points of the second half as they cut their lead to seven, 36-29, beginning the comeback.
Jazmine Johnson (Lakewood, Calif.) drove in a layup at 14:36 before exactly two scoreless minutes ensued.
PSU would lead by 10 one more time, 41-31, at 11:59 before the Redhawks took the lead on a 13-2 run over the next six minutes.
Alongside Afunugo, Ross also scored in double digits (14 points) for Seattle U. Mikaela Rivard, Powell, and Avanessian scored in double figures for Portland State.
The Redhawks led at the line, shooting 50 percent (8-for-16) to Portland State’s 41.7 percent (5-for-12).
Seattle U will travel to Washington State on Friday, Nov. 21 and Montana State on Sunday, Nov. 23 before returning home for seven straight home games starting with Saturday, Nov. 29 as they host Idaho.
Stay tuned to GoSeattleU.com as well as Facebook (Seattle University Women’s Basketball; Seattle U Athletics), Twitter (@su_athletics; @su_wbb), and Instagram (su_redhawks; su_wbb) for all the latest updates on the team throughout the 2014-15 campaign.