Loading

GAMEDAY: MBB vs. Portland

SEATTLE – Seattle U men's basketball (5-5) wraps up non-conference play and 2020 back home in the Redhawk Center as they host University of Portland (6-2) on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Pacific. The game will stream live on the WAC Digital Network and can be heard live on KTTH 770 AM and mynorthwest.com.

Opens in a new window Watch Opens in a new window Listen Opens in a new window Live Stats Opens in a new window Game Notes
GAMEDAY: MBB vs. PortlandGAMEDAY: MBB vs. Portland
Sarah Finney

SEATTLE – Seattle U men's basketball (5-5) wraps up non-conference play and 2020 back home in the Redhawk Center as they host University of Portland (6-2) on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Pacific. The game will stream live on the WAC Digital Network and can be heard live on KTTH 770 AM and mynorthwest.com.

FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS

ABOUT THE SERIES VS PORTLAND
While the series dates back to the 1940s, Seattle U and Portland have a storied history as Pacific Northwest rivals. Seattle U holds a 76-31 all-time record over the Pilots. The teams have seven meetings in the Redhawks' modern day Division I era, including four straight wins over the last four seasons for SU. 

Most recently, the teams met to open the 2020-21 season. Less than 24 hours prior to the start of the season, a schedule change pitted to the Redhawks and Pilots against each other on Nov. 25 at the Chiles Center. After trailing 39-31 at the break, the Redhawks found their groove in the second half, hitting 54 percent from the field, inclusion 8-of-15 from three, to outscore the Pilots, 53-33 in the frame, on their way to an 84-72 win. Junior Riley Grigsby led all scorers with a career-high 28 points. Darrion Trammell came off the bench to add 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds, while Emeka Udenyi added 12 points and Kobe Williamson finished with 10.

Portland won the first three meetings of the modern-day DI era, the last being on Feb. 5, 2011 – a 71-55 win for the Pilots at KeyArena. In 2017, Seattle U notched its 73rd all-time win over the Pilots in an 89-76 victory on Dec. 16 at KeyArena. The Redhawks shot better than 60 percent in the second half and poured in a season-high 16 three-pointers in the game. Jordan Hill led four players in double figures with 23 points. Matej Kavas added 18. Last year, the Redhawks won 73-71 behind 20 points from Terrell Brown, 18 from Morgan Means and 16 from Delante Jones. The 2018-19 meeting in Portland was a 67-56 win for Seattle U as four players scored in double figures.

QUICK HITS

  • • Seattle U moved to 5-5 on the season following a 70-65 loss at Cal on Dec. 22.
  • • Riley Grigsby led all players with 20 points to go along with eight rebounds.
  • • Darrion Trammell added 16 points and eight assists while Emeka Udenyi tallied his second consecutive double-double – a 14-point, 10-rebound effort.
  • • The Redhawks matched their season low giveaways at Cal, turning the ball over just eight times.
  • • Freshman Vas Pandža joined the starting lineup for the last two games, giving the Redhawks two rookies in the starting rotation. He had a breakout game in his first career start against College of Idaho on Dec. 17, scoring 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. He added seven points and one rebound at Cal in his second career start.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
For a second consecutive season, the Redhawks are among the nation's best in taking care of the basketball. In games played through Dec. 27, Seattle U ranks No. 16 nationally in turnover margin (5.9) and 15th in turnovers per game (10.4). Both of those marks top the WAC. In six of 10 games this year, they have kept giveaways to single digits. Last season, the Redhawks finished second nationally in fewest turnovers, and eighth in fewest turnovers per game (10.2).

BREAKOUT SEASON
As a sophomore in 2019-20, Riley Grigsby averaged 9.7 points while shooting 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from three. Through 10 games this year, the now junior leads Seattle U, and the WAC, in scoring at 17.7 ppg to go along with 4.6 rpg. He is shooting better than 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. His FG total (69) already matches his total from last year and his 21 3-pointers is one shy of his total from a year ago. He has scored in double figures in all but one game, and has surpassed 20 points four times, including a career-high 28 points in the season opener at Portland. The San Jose, Calif., native also ranks second in the nation in minutes played (in games through Dec. 27).

REDHAWK RUNDOWN

  • Seattle U's home opening win over Northwest on Dec. 13 was the latest home opener date since 1988-89 when Seattle U played its first 10 games on the road and did not host a home game until Jan. 6, 1989.
  • The 40 points allowed by Northwest on Dec. 13 is the least allowed by a Redhawks squad since Dec. 17, 2015 when they earned a 98-36 win over Northwest Indian College.
  • Seattle U opened the season with three consecutive wins for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
  • The Redhawks picked up wins over WCC member Portland, NAIA William Jessup and Mountain West member Air Force in that stretch.
  • Seattle U's 41 points at UW on Dec. 9 was the fewest points scored since a 59-44 loss at UTRGV on Feb. 14, 2019. It also marks the fewest points scored in a game during Jim Hayford's tenure.
  • This marks the third time in Head Coach Jim Hayford's four years at Seattle U that the Redhawks have played at lease a trio of Pac-12 opponents in a single season. The Redhawks are 2-10 against the conference during the span. The 2018-19 season brought both of those wins as Seattle U topped both Washington State and Cal, finishing 2-2 against the Pac-12 that year. In 2020-21, the Redhawks went 0-3 with losses at UCLA, Washington and Cal.
  • Sophomore Darrion Trammell had a career-high 32 points in the loss at Long Beach State on Dec. 6. The game also marked his first start of the year.
  • Riley Grigsby poured in six three pointers on his way to 24 points at Long Beach State on Dec. 6. The six threes were a career-high and the most threes made in a game since Matej Kavas drained six on Dec. 23, 2017 against Nicholls State.
  • Nate Robinson made his first appearance of the season on Dec. 3 at UCLA after missing the first four games due to a toe injury. The junior guard had two points, one rebound and one block in nine minutes of action. 
  • Junior Rip Economou drained four threes on Nov. 29 against Air Force on Nov. 29, notching a career-high 12 points.
  • The Redhawks won their season opener for a second straight year, this time with an 84-72 victory over Portland on Nov. 25. 
  • The win over Portland was the fourth straight for Seattle U. The teams have met during each of the past four years and are set to meet again later this season.
  • Riley Grigsby poured in a career-high 28 points in the season debut versus Portland. His performance over the first three games earned him WAC Player of the Week honors.
  • Freshman Kobe Williamson had an impressive collegiate debut with 10 points and nine boards against Portland. He is the first freshman to start a season opener since Morgan Means did so in 2016-17. Means finished with five points, three rebounds and three assists in that outing.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Seattle U has compiled a 244-153 (.615) record in the Redhawk Center, including a 15-game winning streak that began Nov. 5, 2008 with a perfect 10-0 mark during the 2008-09 season. In 2017-18, the Redhawks went 9-1, in 2018-19, the Redhawks went 12-6 and in 2019-20 they were 9-3.