SEATTLE – For the ninth consecutive year, Seattle University men's basketball heads to Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2021 Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament. The Orleans Arena once again hosts this year's tournament, which begins with two quarterfinal games Thursday, Mar. 11. The Redhawks (11-10, 4-5 WAC) earn the fifth seed and will face fourth-seed California Baptist (13-9, 6-6 WAC) at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+. The winner will advance to face top-seed Grand Canyon in the semifinals on Friday at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN+. The tournament's championship game is set for Saturday, Mar. 13 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS
- Thursday, March 11 at 4:30 p.m. PT
- Seattle U (11-10, 4-5 WAC) vs. California Baptist (13-9, 6-6 WAC)
- Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
- Live Stats
- Listen on KTTH 770 AM
- Watch on ESPN+
- Game Notes
ROUND THREE VS THE LANCERS
- Seattle U and California Baptist closed out the regular season going head-to-head on back-to-back nights and now move on to a third round of play in the postseason.
- The Redhawks won the first of the two games, 80-79, on March 5 behind 28 points from Darrion Trammell, 18 from Nate Robinson, 14 from Riley Grigsby and 10 from Emeka Udenyi.
- The Lancers responded with a 79-76 win 24 hours later. Trammell led the way again with 26 points, including a perfect 15-of-15 from the charity stripe. Grigsby added 15 points and Udenyi collected a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double.
MORE ABOUT THE SERIES VS CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
This marks just the eighth all-time meeting between Seattle U and California Baptist and seventh as Division I members of the Western Athletic Conference. CBU holds a 5-2 lead in the all-time series.
The Lancers won both meetings in 2019-20, beginning with a 72-65 final at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., on Feb. 1, 2020. Terrell Brown had 14 points for SU while Morgan Means and Mattia Da Campo chipped in 13 and 10, respectively. Then, in what would ultimately be the Redhawks final game of the season last year, CBU clinched an 88-87 overtime win in Riverside on Feb. 29. Brown had 31 points to lead the Redhawks, including all 10 points in overtime.
In 2018-19, the teams split the WAC home-and-home, each winning on their opponent's home court. The Lancers won the first meeting of 2018-19, 75-64, on Feb. 2, 2019 in the Redhawk Center. Terrell Brown led all scorers in the game, finishing the night with 24 points. The Redhawks returned the favor on Feb. 28, 2019 in Riverside., Calif., with a 67-65 thrilling victory. Delante Jones hit the game-winner - his only field goal of the night - with seven seconds remaining to secure the Redhawk win. Morgan Means had 21 points to lead SU, while Mattia Da Campo had an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double and Brown added 18 points.
The teams' only previous meeting came during the 1987-88 season at the Hawaii Loa Tournament in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The Lancers won that battle, 71-66, over Seattle U.
2021 HERCULES TIRES WAC TOURNAMENT
- Six teams fill the bracket – California Baptist, Grand Canyon, NM State, Seattle U, Utah Valley and UTRGV. As announced in April 2020, the WAC shortened the eligibility period for participation by transitioning institutions to two years, making CBU eligible in 2021. Dixie State and Tarleton will be eligible in 2023.
- Grand Canyon is the No. 1 seed, followed by No. 2 Utah Valley, No. 3 NM State, No. 4 CBU, No. 5 Seattle U and No. 6 UTRGV.
- Seeding for the WAC Tournament was based on league win-loss percentage multiplied by percentage of games played.
- The winner of the WAC Tournament will be the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament unless it is a transitioning institution. In such case the automatic qualifier will be the regular season champion.
- If the winner of the WAC Tournament is unable to complete in the NCAA Tournament due to COVID testing, the replacement automatic qualifier is the regular season champion. If the disqualified team is the regular season champion, the highest placing eligible Division I team in the regular season standings (as determined by tiebreakers if necessary) shall be the replacement automatic qualifier.
REDHAWKS' WAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
- Seattle U brings a 4-7 record from seven previous WAC Tournament appearances into this year's event.
- The 2019-20 tournament was halted before the Redhawks could take to the court. Seattle U had earned the third seed, matching their highest seed in eight years of WAC play.
- In 2018-19, the sixth-seed Redhawks dropped an 84-75 decision to third-seed Grand Canyon in the opening round of play.
- In 2017-18, the fourth-seed Redhawks downed fifth-seed UTRGV 77-60 in the opening round, securing a 20-win season under then first-year Head Coach Jim Hayford. They would go on to take top-seed New Mexico State to the limit before falling, 84-79, to the eventual champs.
- In 2016-17, the fifth-seed Redhawks went 0-1 with a 65-53 loss to fourth-seed Utah Valley in the opening round.
- In 2015-16, the third-seed Redhawks topped sixth-seed UTRGV in the quarterfinals, 75-52, advancing to face eventual tournament champ CSU Bakersfield in the semifinals. The 'Runners sent SU to a 72-47 setback.
- In 2014-15, third-seed Seattle U defeated sixth-seed Chicago State, 49-45, in the first round. The next night, Isiah Umipig tied a WAC Tournament record with eight made three-pointers to lead the Redhawks over UMKC, 69-63. In the championship game, New Mexico State scored the first nine points of the game on its way to an 80-61 victory over the Redhawks.
- Entering the 2013-14 tournament as the seventh seed, the Redhawks battled second-seeded New Mexico State throughout the contest, holding a six-point lead halfway through the second half. After New Mexico State rallied back, Seattle U had a chance to send the game into overtime, but a last-second putback would not fall, giving the Aggies a 70-68 victory.
- •In 2012-13, the Redhawks lost to Texas State, 68-56, in the first round, as Seattle U was the 10th seed.
ALL-WAC HONORS
Darrion Trammell and Riley Grigsby are among those honored by the WAC as the league unveiled its 2020-21 postseason awards. Trammell was named to the All-WAC First Team and the All-Newcomer Team, while Grigsby took home All-WAC Second Team honors. The duo are the league's top two scorers on the year, pouring in 20.6 ppg and 18.3 ppg, respectively for the balance of the season. Trammell upped that mark in WAC play, averaging 24.8 ppg, while Grigsby scored at a 17.7 ppg clip in league action. In addition to leading the league in scoring, Trammell also topped all players in free throw percentage (87.1), free throws made (121), free throw attempts (139) and steals (43/2.0 spg). He also ranks in a tie for second with 5.5 assists per game and total assists (116) and is fourth in 3-pointers per game (2.0). The sophomore transfer hailing from Marin City, Calif., scored in double digits all but twice, scored 20+ points 10 times and hit the 30-point marker three times, including back-to-back nights at Dixie State on Feb. 5-6. He was twice named WAC Player of the Week, including following an impressive 25-point, 13-assist outing versus Portland son Dec. 30. Seattle U's lone returning starter from 2019-20, Grigsby has had a breakout season, nearly doubling his scoring from a year ago as he took on a leadership role in the rotation. The junior from San Jose, Calif., who also earned Preseason All-WAC Second Team honors, scored in double figures all but once and has hit or surpassed the 20-point mark nine times. He also averages 5.3 rebounds per game and ranks third in the WAC with 2.1 3-pointers per game.
PERFECT FROM THE STRIPE
Darrion Trammell was a perfect 15-for-15 from the free-throw line on March 6 at California Baptist. The feat ranks as the second most made free throws without a miss for a Seattle U player in program history. The record of 16-for-16 has been achieved twice. Most recently, Morgan Means went 16-for-16 on Dec. 29, 2018 at Pac-12 member Cal. The original record holder is Carl Ervin, who drained 16 -for-16 versus Washington on Dec. 15, 1979.
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 March 7, Seattle U ranks No. 5 nationally in turnover margin (5.1) and 18th in turnovers per game (10.8). Last season, the Redhawks finished second nationally in fewest turnovers, and eighth in fewest turnovers per game (10.2).
PSA: TRAMMELL DOES IT ALL
- Sophomore Darrion Trammell ranks 18th in the nation and first in the WAC in points (20.6 per game), first in the WAC in free-throw percentage (87.1), second in the WAC in assists (5.5 per game) and second in the WAC in steals (2.0 per game). The 5-10 guard also adds 3.9 rebounds per game.
- His 5.5 assists per game rank 27th nationally in games played through March 7 and his 2.05 steals per game rank 28th.
- In WAC play, Trammell is putting up 24.8 ppg while also leading the way with 2.8 three-pointers per game.
- Trammell has one double-double to his name this year – a 25-point, 13-assist outpouring on Dec. 30 versus Portland.
- He has scored in double figures in 19 of 21 games, has surpassed 20 points on 10 occasions and has three games with 30 points or more. He has also dished five assists or more in 14 of 21 outings.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
- Sophomore Darrion Trammell and junior Riley Grigsby rank 1-2 among all WAC players in scoring. Trammell averages 20.6 ppg while Grigsby adds 18.8 ppg for the Redhawks.
- One or the other has led Seattle U in scoring in all but one game this season.
- Grigsby has nine games with 20 or more points, including a career-high 28 points at Portland on Nov. 25 and surpassing the mark in seven of the Redhawks' last 12 outings.
- Trammell has surpassed the 20 point marker 10 times, including a career-high 32 points at Long Beach State on Dec. 6. The first-year Redhawk most recently had 28 and 26 points on back-to-back nights at CBU.
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