The Seattle University men’s basketball team has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2015 College Basketball Invitational and will host Pepperdine University in the opening round Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the Connolly Center on the Seattle U campus.
This will be the first time Seattle U has participated in a national Division I postseason tournament since March 8, 1969, when it lost to Weber State, 75-73, in the first round of that year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Seattle U has previously competed in 11 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournaments, as well as the 1951 National Catholic Invitation Tournament and two National Invitation Tournaments (1952 and 1957 NIT).
Seattle U currently holds a 16-15 overall record and has won five of its last seven games, as the Redhawks advanced to the championship game of the 2015 Western Athletic Conference Tournament this past weekend. The Redhawks are led by sixth-year head coach Cameron Dollar and feature First Team All-WAC and All-WAC Tournament honoree Isiah Umipig (Federal Way, Wash.), who leads the team in scoring at 17.0 points per game and is third in Division I in three-pointers made per game at 3.61.
“To be selected for a postseason tournament as well regarded as the CBI is a very good accomplishment in any season,” Dollar said. “But this is particularly gratifying given that this is our first Division I postseason bid in 46 years.”
Pepperdine posted an 18-13 overall record during the 2014-15 season, including a 10-8 mark within the West Coast Conference. The Waves advanced to the semifinals of the WCC Tournament before losing to eventual tournament champion Gonzaga, 79-61. Marty Wilson is in his fourth season as head coach of the Waves, and Stacy Davis is the team’s leading player, averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, plus he is shooting 81.5 percent from the free throw line.
Seattle U and Pepperdine will be meeting for the 33rd time, with Seattle U holding the series lead 20-12. The two teams met twice a year as conference foes in the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC) from 1971 to 1980. The Redhawks won the most recent meeting between the two schools, 81-70, on Feb. 16, 2012, behind Cervante Burrell, who finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Jarell Flora (Bremerton, Wash.) is the only member of either team to appear in that game, earning two points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal in nine minutes off the bench.
Because KeyArena is one of the sites of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Second and Third Rounds, the game between Seattle U and Pepperdine will be held at the Connolly Center, located at 550 14th Avenue on campus. The winner of the game between the Redhawks and the Waves will move onto the CBI quarterfinals Monday, March 23, against either Colorado or Gardner-Webb.
Bleacher seats across from the benches are available for $10 by either coming to the O’Brien Center for Athletic Administration, located at 1218 East Cherry Street, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday this week, or by calling (206) 398-GOSU (4678) during those same hours.