After leading Seattle University to conference victories over Texas Pan American and New Mexico State, senior guard Isiah Umipig (Federal Way, Wash.) has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, announced Monday morning by the league office.
Thursday night against UT Pan American, Umipig scored 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including 7-of-11 shooting from behind the three-point line, the third time this season he has hit seven three-pointers in a single game. With the Redhawks ahead by just five points at halftime, Umipig scored eight of the team’s first 10 points of the second half to help Seattle U extend its advantage to 38-23 three minutes into the second half. In total, Umipig scored 17 points in just 13 minutes on the floor after halftime.
In Saturday’s game against preseason WAC favorite New Mexico State, Umipig scored seven points on two key plays. With 14:34 to go in the first half, he converted on a four-point play to put the Redhawks on top, 9-6. In the second half, after the Aggies had cut a 10-point lead down to one, Umipig hit a three-pointer with 4:32 remaining in regulation to stop the comeback as Seattle U went on to defeat New Mexico State, 58-52.
Umipig is second in the country in made three-pointers per game (4.12), third in total three-pointers made (70), and 12th in three-point field goal percentage (46.4%). He has moved into second place on Seattle U’s all-time list for made three-pointers with 176, and he continues to lead the team in scoring average and assists with 17.1 points and 3.5 assists per game.
This is the second time this season that Umipig has received the WAC’s weekly award, previously earning it just two weeks ago on Jan. 5 after averaging 22.0 points and 5.0 assists per game against UC Davis and Cal State Fullerton. Umipig is now a four-time WAC Player of the Week after receiving the weekly honor twice during the 2013-14 campaign.
Seattle University, 2-1 in WAC play as part of a 9-8 overall record, heads to the Midwest this week, facing Chicago State Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Pacific time), followed by a game at Missouri-Kansas City Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. Central time (4 p.m. Pacific time). Both games will be broadcast on 770 AM KTTH, with Dave Grosby and Gary Hill Jr. calling the action live starting with the pregame show shortly before tipoff.