BACK ON THE ROAD: After sweeping a weekend of home games against UT Pan American and New Mexico State, Seattle University begins a stretch in which five of the next seven games are on the road, starting Thursday night at Chicago State. The Redhawks are looking to extend their winning streak to three games for the first time this season and remain near the top of the WAC standings.
THE NEW MEXICO STATE GAME: Thanks to contributions on both ends of the floor from several players, Seattle University was able to earn a hard-fought 58-52 victory over New Mexico State Saturday night at KeyArena at Seattle Center. Jarell Flora led the Redhawks with 16 points and seven rebounds, hitting four three-pointers as he played almost the entire game. William Powell tied his career high with 14 points, plus he pulled down six rebounds, while Shore Adenekan came off the bench and contributed 11 points, four rebounds, and two blocked shots, including several emphatic dunks that brought the crowd into the game. Isiah Umipig was held under double figures in scoring for the second time in three games with seven points, but he dished out four assists and provided veteran leadership in 39 minutes on the floor. Emerson Murray, making his first start of the season, dished out a game-high six assists plus picked up two steals and two defensive rebounds in the winning effort. As a team, the Redhawks shot 51.1 percent (23-of-45) from the field. For the second straight game, Seattle U committed just eight turnovers, and the Redhawks dished out 17 assists on 23 made baskets.
AMERICAN SPORTS NETWORK: The American Sports Network is producing Thursday’s game for broadcast, with Dave Armstrong and Rich Zvosec on the call live from courtside. The game will air on 56 stations across the country, including KOMO-2 in the Puget Sound region, which can be found on channel 94 for Wave Broadband customers and channel 328 for Comcast customers. It will also be streamed online at www.americansportsnet.com.
SCOUTING CHICAGO STATE: The Cougars enter Thursday’s game with a 4-15 overall record, including an 0-2 record within the WAC after losses at UT Pan American and at Missouri-Kansas City. This will be the first conference home game of the season for the Cougars and the first home game overall since Dec. 29, when Chicago State defeated Nebraska Omaha. The Cougars are scoring 58.8 points per game and giving up 68.5 points per contest. As a team, Chicago State is shooting 37.6 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent from behind the three-point line, and 62.0 percent from the free throw line. Clarke Rosenberg leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game, plus he is tied for the team lead with 28 assists and 24 steals. Trayvon Palmer leads the way in rebounding with 5.1 boards per game to go along with 7.2 points per contest.
SEATTLE U VS. CHICAGO STATE: Seattle U and Chicago State met for the first time ever last season, with the Cougars sweeping the season series from the Redhawks with two wins over the span of 10 days. On Feb. 27, 2014, at KeyArena, Seattle U scored the first seven points of the game, but Chicago State kept the contest close, eventually pulling out a triple-overtime victory, 84-77. Isiah Umipig led the Redhawks with 23 points, followed by Jarell Flora with 15 points and Shore Adenekan with 13 points. Clarence Trent pulled down 16 rebounds as Seattle U won the rebounding battle, 57-51. Clarke Rosenberg played 52 of the 55 minutes and finished with 17 points, tied with Matt Ross for the team lead. On March 8, 2014, in Chicago, the Cougars celebrated Senior Day with a 67-53 victory over the Redhawks. Flora his six three-pointers as he scored 22 points to lead Seattle U, while Ross notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.