Four in a Row

SEATTLE – Seattle University women's basketball grabbed an early lead and never looked back on its way to a 67-57 win over New Mexico State at the Redhawk Center. Kamira Sanders led four Redhawks in double figures with 19 points as SU won its fourth straight Western Athletic Conference (WAC) contest Thursday.

"It was a good win for us," said Coach Suzy Barcomb. "We executed the game plan defensively. The final four minutes for us was really critical. Early in the season, we weren't executing late in games, so for us to do that was huge."
 
The visitors scored first, but Sanders drove for a bucket and then made a steal and scored again for a 4-2 advantage. Courtney Murphy followed with a hoop before NMSU answered with three points in a row. Joana Alves connected on a pair of free throws and then scored on a putback to make it 10-5 with 3:58 remaining in the period. After an Aggie score, Sanders set up another Alves hoop. SU (11-12, 5-5 WAC) closed strong, as Hailey Vice-Neat found good positioning down low and finished and then Olivia Crawford broke down her defender and pulled up for a 15-footer just before the buzzer, giving the Redhawks a 16-9 lead after 10 minutes.
 
In the second quarter, the defenses held the upper hand again, as both teams struggled to find consistent scoring. Neither team made a field goal until the 7:09 mark and the hosts didn't make a shot until the 4:59 mark in the frame. Vice-Neat's three-pointer gave SU a 20-14 margin midway through the quarter. NMSU scored next, but Crawford assisted on a Sanders triple. Sanders pulled down a rebound after another stop and eventually sank another trey for a 26-16 lead with 3:26 to play in the half.
 
Alves scored after an offensive board to extend the advantage, and after an NM State basket, Sanders made a lay-in. Alves split two foul shots, but the Aggies closed the half with two scores, cutting their deficit to 31-22 at halftime.
 
The third period featured more offense from both sides, as the Redhawks continued to control the action. Murphy nailed a three on the first possession of the half for a 12- point margin. After an Aggie score, Murphy made a pair of jumpers, with the second coming on a foul. The sophomore sank the ensuing foul shot for a 41-28 difference with 6:18 left in the third.
 
Makenna Schoenhofer entered for the first time and promptly drained a corner three-ball to make it a 16-point game. Later in the frame, a Chinwe Ezeonu layup and a Sanders hoop kept SU ahead comfortably. After an NM State score, Ezeonu scored in the lane as the hosts held a 54-39 advantage after three periods.
 
The visitors looked to come back in the fourth, but the Redhawks hit enough shots to hold off the rally. Crawford drove and scored inside following a run that got the Aggies within seven. With her side up by eight later in the period, Crawford found Vice-Neat open in the corner, where she splashed a three for a 60-49 margin at the 5:27 mark.
 
NM State cut its deficit to five with 3:12 left, but Crawford put her down and drove for a layup and then Vice-Neat followed with a three-point play to seal the decision.
 
Sanders recorded 19 points and five rebounds, while Alves tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Murphy added 12 points and four boards and Vice-Neat compiled 11 points off the bench.
 
The Redhawks host UTRGV on Saturday. The WAC game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off at the Redhawk Center.