HOMECOMING: Seattle University returns to KeyArena for Homecoming weekend, starting with Thursday night’s game against Chicago State, followed by a Saturday night tilt against Missouri-Kansas City. Currently on a three-game winning streak, the Redhawks look to earn their first four-game winning stretch since a five-game winning streak that lasted from Dec. 2 through Dec. 19, 2013.
LAST GAME: Seattle University rallied from a halftime deficit to take the lead late in the second half and then, after Grand Canyon University had pulled back into a tie, Emmanuel Chibuogwu tipped in a rebound in the final seconds to give the Redhawks a 59-57 victory over the Antelopes Saturday night at the GCU Arena. Down 35-28 at halftime, Seattle U quickly scored the first four points of the second half on a layup by William Powell and a jumper by Jack Crook. After the two teams traded baskets for the next six minutes, Jake Spurgeon hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 41-41, but Gerard Martin answered with his own three-pointer to put Grand Canyon back on top with 11:41 left in the second half. A layup by Dominic Magee increased the Antelope lead to five, but the Redhawks put together a 14-3 scoring run over a five-and-a-half minute span, capped by a three-pointer from Manroop Clair and consecutive layups by Brendan Westendorf and Aaron Menzies, giving Seattle U a 55-49 advantage with 5:31 remaining in regulation. Joshua Braun went 5-for-5 from the free throw line to cut the Redhawk lead to one and then, after a layup by Westendorf, hit a three-pointer with 1:38 left to tie the game at 57-57. Each team had one possession each without scoring a point, and after Westendorf drove the length of the court but missed a shot, Chibuogwu rose up and tapped the ball in with four seconds remaining. Grand Canyon’s final desperation chance was off-target, ending the Antelopes’ 12-game winning streak and giving Seattle U its first-ever victory over Grand Canyon after five previous losses. Westendorf once again led the Redhawks with 14 points, four assists, and three steals, plus he pulled down seven rebounds, while Powell finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, two blocked shots, and two steals. Seattle U shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field and won the rebounding battle, 37-33.
SCOUTING CHICAGO STATE: The Cougars enter Thursday’s game with a 4-20 overall record. Chicago State is still looking for its first conference victory after losing to Missouri-Kansas City last Saturday, 78-64. The Cougars are scoring 69.5 points per game and allowing 78.7 points per contest. As a team, Chicago State is shooting 38.8 percent from the field, including 31.4 percent from behind the three-point line, and 66.4 percent from the free throw line. Fred Sims Jr. leads the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game, followed by Clemmye Owens V at 10.5 points per game. Trayvon Palmer is contributing 9.0 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY: The Kangaroos enter the weekend with a 9-13 overall record, including a 2-5 mark within the Western Athletic Conference. UMKC snapped a five-game losing streak with a 78-64 victory over Chicago State. The ‘Roos are 1-9 in road games entering Thursday’s matchup at CSU Bakersfield. Missouri-Kansas City is scoring 69.7 points per game and allowing 73.3 points per contest. As a team, UMKC is shooting 43.6 percent from the field, including 36.2 percent from behind the three-point line, and 68.1 percent from the free throw line. Martez Harrison leads the team with 15.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, with LaVell Boyd averaging 13.7 points per game thanks in part to 57 made three-pointers. In conference play, Shayok Shayok is shooting 55.1 percent from the field as he is contributing 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
ROAD WARRIORS: For the first time since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2012-13, Seattle University swept a road weekend with its victories at Utah Valley (73-62) Jan. 28 and at Grand Canyon (59-57) Jan. 30. Including the Jan. 9 victory at Chicago State, the Redhawks have won three straight road games for the first time since a five-game road winning streak that spanned from Jan. 17 through Feb. 24, 2009. Seattle U last swept a conference road weekend Feb. 7-9, 2008, when the Redhawks defeated Northwest Nazarene (83-72) and Seattle Pacific (66-59) as part of the Division II GNAC. The last time Seattle U swept a road weekend within a Division I conference was in 1978 with wins at Nevada (71-65) and at Saint Mary’s (79-76) in the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC).
ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME: Seattle University Athletics will welcome five individuals and one team into the SU Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming Weekend, with the induction luncheon taking place Saturday, Feb. 6, at 12 noon at the Campion Tower Ballroom on campus. Among the 2016 inductees is Don "The Ox" Ogorek, who played 84 games for the Seattle University basketball team from 1957 through 1960, scoring 1,230 career points (20th all-time) and pulling down 694 career rebounds (13th all-time). After averaging 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 1957-58, helping Seattle U reach the NCAA title game, he averaged 16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in 1958-59 and 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in 1959-60. Those led to career averages of 14.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He helped Seattle U post a three-year record of 60-22 (.732).Other inductees include swimmer Chris Coley (2004-2008), women’s basketball player Mandy Matzke (1996-2000), special contributor Jean Merlino ‘61, women’s soccer player Ashley Porter (2004-2008), and the 1968 baseball team.