Seattle University held the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley scoreless for a significant period of time in the second half, but the Vaqueros were able to hit shots down the stretch to defeat the Redhawks, 67-57, Thursday night in a Western Athletic Conference men’s collegiate basketball game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
After William Powell (Huntsville, Ala.) hit a jumper to open the second half, UTRGV went on a 9-3 scoring run to take its biggest lead of the night at 46-32 four minutes into the second half. Jack Crook (Manchester, England) scored five of Seattle U’s next seven points as the Redhawks cut the Vaquero lead in half before Dan Kimasa hit a layup to extend the UTRGV lead back to nine at 48-39.
Seattle U held UTRGV scoreless over an eight-minute span, but was able to score only six points during that stretch to close its deficit to 50-47. J.J. Thompson hit a three-pointer to snap the Vaquero scoreless streak, and then Ot Elmore hit consecutive three-pointers to extend the UTRGV lead back to nine, essentially clinching the game for the Vaqueros.
Crook shot 10-of-15 from the field as he tied his career high with 22 points, plus he pulled down 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Powell also tied a career high with 13 rebounds, notching his second double-double in three games with 10 points, and Brendan Westendorf (Auburn, Wash.) contributed 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
Seattle U opened the game with an 11-2 scoring run, led by Westendorf with five points. Back-to-back baskets by Emmanuel Chibuogwu (Seattle, Wash.) and Crook extended the Redhawk lead to 15-5, but UTRGV responded with eight unanswered points to pull to within two halfway through the first half.
Crook earned a dunk and a layup to keep the Redhawks on top, but UT Rio Grande Valley started making its three-point shots during a 17-4 scoring run, as Elmore hit one, Shaquille Hines followed with two three-pointers, and Walter Jones made a three-pointer of his own to give UTRGV its biggest lead of the half at 35-24. Westendorf stopped the run with his second three-pointer of the game, but Hines closed the half with a jumper to give the Vaqueros a 37-27 lead at halftime.
“We got off to a good start, but then we were complacent and committed some turnovers, and that carried over to our defense,” Seattle U head coach Cameron Dollar said. “In the second half, we competed and fought, but good fortune left us, as we missed some shots that we normally make. I am pleased with how we hung in there, but we did not have enough to get over the top.”
Hines made five first-half three-pointers as he led the Vaqueros with 22 points, while Kimasa notched his own double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Elmore contributed 11 points, three rebounds, and six assists off the bench, and Thompson dished out seven assists to go along with seven points.
UT Rio Grande Valley (7-19, 3-8 WAC) made more than half of its shots in the first half, but only a third of them after halftime to finish the game at 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the field, including 11-of-27 from behind the three-point line. The Vaqueros also took care of the basketball, committing just seven turnovers in the game.
The Redhawks shot 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the field, including 2-of-16 from behind the three-point line, and 65.2 percent (15-of-23) from the free throw line. Seattle U dominated the boards, 45-33, but committed eight first-half turnovers that led to 11 Vaquero points before halftime.
Seattle University (12-13, 6-5 WAC) heads to Las Cruces, N.M., to face the New Mexico State Aggies Saturday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Pacific time). The game will be streamed on ESPN3 and the WAC Digital Network as well as broadcast on 770 AM KTTH, with Dave Grosby providing the live play-by-play starting with the pregame show shortly before tipoff.