LAS VEGAS – Seattle University women's basketball beat second-seeded Utah Valley, 61-48, in the first round of the 2020 Hercules Tires WAC Tournament presented by TicketSmarter on Wednesday night. Kamira Sanders and Joana Alves combined for 41 points to lead the Redhawks to the semifinals at The Orleans Arena.
SU is scheduled to face the winner of the Grand Canyon/CSU Bakersfield quarterfinal on Friday afternoon. The GCU/CSUB game was postponed until Thursday at 9:30 a.m. due to a medical situation.
The Redhawks are first seven seed to win a WAC Tournament quarterfinal since 2007, when New Mexico State won as the seventh seed in the playoff.
On Wednesday night, the Redhawks put together one of their more complete efforts of the season. They held UVU to 29 percent field-goal shooting and posted a 50-41 advantage on the glass. Sanders made 9-12 free throws on her way to a game-high 21 points, while Alves tallied a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Hailey Vice-Neat added 12 points and eight boards on the night.
Alves and Vice-Neat carried the offense early, teaming up to form a strong inside-outside tandem in a back-and-forth first frame. Utah Valley took a 14-10 lead late in the period, but Vice-Neat swished a three with 22 seconds left to get SU within a point.
Vice-Neat opened second-quarter scoring with a jumper and then Alves scored inside and followed with a trey for a 20-14 advantage at the 7:38 mark. After the Wolverines tied it up, Sanders scored and then Vice-Neat nailed a corner triple. An Alves three-point play made it 28-20 late in the period. Genessa Bedoya, in a second straight stellar showing off the bench, drove and scored as the Redhawks maintained a 30-24 halftime lead.
UVU evened the score early in the third, but Vice-Neat made another three-ball and Alves scored in the paint. Baskets by Alves and Courtney Murphy gave SU a nine-point margin before the Wolverines closed the frame with a three to make it 43-37.
Sanders began to break down the UVU defense in the fourth, penetrating and earning multiple trips to the foul line. The senior scored six points to spark the SU attack early in the quarter. The Redhawks held a comfortable lead as time ran down, with Sanders connecting on 5-6 free throws late to ice the contest.
SU is scheduled to face the winner of the Grand Canyon/CSU Bakersfield quarterfinal on Friday afternoon. The GCU/CSUB game was postponed until Thursday at 9:30 a.m. due to a medical situation.
The Redhawks are first seven seed to win a WAC Tournament quarterfinal since 2007, when New Mexico State won as the seventh seed in the playoff.
On Wednesday night, the Redhawks put together one of their more complete efforts of the season. They held UVU to 29 percent field-goal shooting and posted a 50-41 advantage on the glass. Sanders made 9-12 free throws on her way to a game-high 21 points, while Alves tallied a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Hailey Vice-Neat added 12 points and eight boards on the night.
Alves and Vice-Neat carried the offense early, teaming up to form a strong inside-outside tandem in a back-and-forth first frame. Utah Valley took a 14-10 lead late in the period, but Vice-Neat swished a three with 22 seconds left to get SU within a point.
Vice-Neat opened second-quarter scoring with a jumper and then Alves scored inside and followed with a trey for a 20-14 advantage at the 7:38 mark. After the Wolverines tied it up, Sanders scored and then Vice-Neat nailed a corner triple. An Alves three-point play made it 28-20 late in the period. Genessa Bedoya, in a second straight stellar showing off the bench, drove and scored as the Redhawks maintained a 30-24 halftime lead.
UVU evened the score early in the third, but Vice-Neat made another three-ball and Alves scored in the paint. Baskets by Alves and Courtney Murphy gave SU a nine-point margin before the Wolverines closed the frame with a three to make it 43-37.
Sanders began to break down the UVU defense in the fourth, penetrating and earning multiple trips to the foul line. The senior scored six points to spark the SU attack early in the quarter. The Redhawks held a comfortable lead as time ran down, with Sanders connecting on 5-6 free throws late to ice the contest.