OREM, Utah – Seattle University women's basketball got down early at Utah Valley and was unable to recover, falling, 66-56, in its Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opener on Friday. McKenzi Williams and Bree Calhoun led the Redhawks with 12 points each at the UCCU Center.
The hosts controlled from the start, jumping out to a 17-2 lead in the first period. Chinwe Ezeonu hit two jumpers and split a pair of free throws to support the SU offense. The Redhawks forced nine turnovers, but UVU hit seven of its first 10 shots on the day.
In the second frame, Ezeonu scored again, but the Wolverines continued to pull away. A UVU three made it 31-13 midway through the quarter before Makenna Schoenhofer sank two foul shots. An Irena Korolenko trey pulled SU closer, as the Redhawk offense came alive. Williams scored inside and Calhoun swished a triple, making it 34-23 with 2:57 left in the half. The home side answered with its sixth three-ball of the half and took a 39-23 margin into the locker room.
Seattle U looked to crawl back into the contest in the third, grinding out stops and getting buckets from Peyton Howard, Korolenko, and Calhoun. Maddy Phillips scored and then a Howard hoop made it 49-35 in the final minute of the period. UVU hit a free throw and Williams sprinted in for a layup to cap the frame and pull SU within, 50-37.
The Redhawks couldn't quite get over the hump in the fourth period, as Utah Valley maintained its lead and came away with the win of the first of the weekend set.
Williams put up 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Calhoun recorded 12 points, five assists, and four steals. Ezeonu contributed nine points and nine boards. The SU defense harassed UVU into 20 turnovers.
The Redhawks and Wolverines meet again tomorrow. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. Pacific at the UCCU Center.
The hosts controlled from the start, jumping out to a 17-2 lead in the first period. Chinwe Ezeonu hit two jumpers and split a pair of free throws to support the SU offense. The Redhawks forced nine turnovers, but UVU hit seven of its first 10 shots on the day.
In the second frame, Ezeonu scored again, but the Wolverines continued to pull away. A UVU three made it 31-13 midway through the quarter before Makenna Schoenhofer sank two foul shots. An Irena Korolenko trey pulled SU closer, as the Redhawk offense came alive. Williams scored inside and Calhoun swished a triple, making it 34-23 with 2:57 left in the half. The home side answered with its sixth three-ball of the half and took a 39-23 margin into the locker room.
Seattle U looked to crawl back into the contest in the third, grinding out stops and getting buckets from Peyton Howard, Korolenko, and Calhoun. Maddy Phillips scored and then a Howard hoop made it 49-35 in the final minute of the period. UVU hit a free throw and Williams sprinted in for a layup to cap the frame and pull SU within, 50-37.
The Redhawks couldn't quite get over the hump in the fourth period, as Utah Valley maintained its lead and came away with the win of the first of the weekend set.
Williams put up 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Calhoun recorded 12 points, five assists, and four steals. Ezeonu contributed nine points and nine boards. The SU defense harassed UVU into 20 turnovers.
The Redhawks and Wolverines meet again tomorrow. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. Pacific at the UCCU Center.