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GAME PREVIEW: MBB vs. Utah Valley

SEATTLE – Seattle U men's basketball (10-4, 1-0 WAC) continues Western Athletic Conference play at home this week, hosting Utah Valley (11-4, 2-1 WAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. from Climate Pledge Arena. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and can also be hear over the airwaves on KXSU 102.1 FM in Seattle or kxsu.org.

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GAME PREVIEW: MBB vs. Utah ValleyGAME PREVIEW: MBB vs. Utah Valley

SEATTLE – Seattle U men's basketball (10-4, 1-0 WAC) continues Western Athletic Conference play at home this week, hosting Utah Valley (11-4, 2-1 WAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. from Climate Pledge Arena. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and can also be hear over the airwaves on KXSU 102.1 FM in Seattle or kxsu.org.

FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS

QUICK HITS

  • The Redhawks opened WAC play on Jan. 6 at Chicago State, beating the Cougars, 93-77.
  • The win over Chicago State was the 13th straight.
  • Darrion Trammell led all scorers with a season-high 30 points, including 12-of-12 from the free-throw line.
  • Emeka Udenyi and Vasja Pandža achieved career-highs with 16 points and 14 points, respectively. Cameron Tyson also reached double figures, finishing with 16 points, including four three pointers.
  • The Redhawks hit 13 three-pointers in the game, marking the eighth time this season that they've made double-digit threes. They lead the WAC averaging 10.7 three-pointers per game and rank second in three-point percentage at 37.2 percent.

SCHEDULE CHANGES
Due to COVID-19 issues within the program, Seattle U was forced to postpone its first two WAC games, originally scheduled for Dec. 30 (vs. NM State) and Jan. 2 (at California Baptist). Both games have been rescheduled to take place Jan. 17 at California Baptist and Feb. 21 versus NM State.

EYING 1,000
Riley Grigsby's four points versus Northwest on Dec. 22 gives him 908 for his career. He now needs just 92 more points to join the Seattle U 1,000-point club. The last players to achieve the feat were Terrell Brown and Morgan Means, who both reached the milestone during the 2019-20 season.

ABOUT THE SERIES VS UTAH VALLEY
Seattle U and Utah Valley are meeting for the 23rd time, with the series knotted at 11-11 all-time. The past two games have gone to overtime, including a 93-92 win for the Wolverines in the lone meeting last season. The game took nearly 2:40 and featured 16 ties, 14 lead changes, 58 fouls and 81 free-throw attempts. Four players fouled out of the game, including Darrion Trammell and Riley Grigsby for the Redhawks. With Seattle U leading 92-90, UVU's Trey Woodbury would score the game-winning bucket – a three from the top of the key.

Seattle U swept the home-and-home WAC series in 2019-20 including a runaway 83-50 victory in the Redhawk Center on Jan. 11, 2020.  Riley Grigsby led SU with 17 points, Delante Jones had 13 and Terrell Brown had 12 as 10 total Redhawks scored in the win. On Feb. 8, 2020 in Orem, the end result was the same, but this time it took extra time and a game-winning runner from Morgan Means to seal the road win for the Redhawks. Terrell Brown led all scorers with 28 points and Means finished with 19. UVU swept the home-and-home series in 2018-19, winning, 88-78 in Orem and 77-68 in Seattle. The teams split the home-and-home series during the previous two seasons, each winning on their home court.

NATIONAL RANKS
In games played through Jan. 10, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in 9 team categories:

  • 10th in 3-pt FG per game (10.7)
  • 22nd in 3-pt FGs made (150)
  • 31st in turnover margin (3.9)
  • 37th turnovers per game (11.1)
  • 38th in assist to turnover ratio (1.36)
  • 40th in 3-pt FG attempts (403)
  • 44th in 3-pt FG percentage (37.2)
  • 50th in fewest turnovers (155)
  • 50th in scoring margin (11.6)

In games played through Jan. 10, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in 8 individual categories:

REDHAWK RUNDOWN

  • The Redhawks wrapped up non-conference play on Dec. 22 with a 100-68 win over Northwest University, scoring in triple digits for the first time since Nov. 12, 2019 when they beat Pacific (Ore.), 115-81.
  • The win over Northwest gave the Redhawks nine non-conference wins for the first time since 2018-19 when they finished non-conference play at 12-5.
  • Emeka Udenyi tallied his first career triple-double on Dec. 22 against Northwest, finishing with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to earn WAC Player of the Week.
  • The 7-1 start to the season is one of the best in recent history. The last time a Seattle U team started the year 7-1 was 2006-07.
  • Kobe Williamson had a breakout game against UNLV on Dec. 8, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
  • Cameron Tyson scored 23 points on Dec. 1 versus McNeese thanks to seven three pointers - the most 3s in a single game for a Redhawk since Matej Kavas drained 7-of-9 from deep against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 18, 2017. Tyson's personal single-game record is 10, set last season while playing for University of Houston. Seattle U's single-game record is nine, achieved twice, and last in 2005.
  • The Redhawks swiped 19 steals and forced 27 total turnovers against McNeese on Dec. 1. The 19 steals is the most for the team since collecting 20 steals against Linfield College on Jan. 13, 2009.
  • As a team, the Redhawks collected 51 rebounds against St. Thomas on Nov. 27. The 51 boards marks the first time Seattle U has surpassed 50 rebounds since hauling in 61 on Nov. 12, 2017 against Puget Sound.
  • Rip Economou poured in a career-high 20 points in the win over PLU on Nov. 23. The junior guard connected on six threes, marking the second time this season a Redhawks has hit six triples in a game.
  • The 40 points allowed by Pacific Lutheran on Nov. 23 is the least scored by an opponent since an identical 89-40 win over Northwest on Dec. 13, 2020.
  • The Redhawks christened the basketball court at Climate Pledge Arena with a big 77-51 win over Idaho State on Nov. 14.
  • Riley Grigsby poured in a career-high 30 points on 11-of-21 FGs and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. Cameron Tyson added 18 points and the Redhawks shot better than 65% from the field in the second half, snapping a 25-25 tie in the runaway victory over the Vandals.
  • Viktor Rajkovic came up two rebounds shy of a double-double in a breakout performance at Washington State on Nov. 14. After missing all of last season with a knee injury, he finished with 10 points and eight boards, including six on the offensive end.
  • Seattle U won its third straight season opener on Nov. 10 as Cameron Tyson drained a three with 0.8 seconds remaining, lifting the Redhawks to a 69-66 final over visiting Alcorn State.
  • Interim Head Coach Chris Victor earned his first NCAA Division I victory in the win over Alcorn State. Victor now has 111 career wins as a head coach, previously leading Citrus College from 2011-15.
  • Seattle U returns to the heart of Seattle with eight of its 19 home games to be contested in the brand new Climate Pledge Arena. The Redhawks played nine seasons under the roof of Climate Pledge Arena's former moniker - KeyArena - before the building went under construction following the 2017-18 season.
  • Assistant Coach D'Marques Tyson has earned the distinction of being the youngest assistant coach in all of Division I men's basketball this season. The Bothell, Wash., native who played four seasons at the University of Portland, was born Dec. 18, 1995. He is one of two assistant coaches to be just 25 years of age to begin this season. Tyson is younger than Tyler Wilson of Manhattan College by just 15 days.

FAMILY TIES
New additions to the Redhawk team and staff have brought multiple family connections to the program. Cameron Tyson, a redshirt sophomore transfer from University of Houston, is joined by older brother D'Marques Tyson, who is an Assistant Coach on staff. Junior Riley Grigsby is joined by his father Al Grigsby, who is on staff as Assistant to the Head Coach.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Seattle U has compiled a 253-156 (.618) 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. In 2020-21, the Redhawks went 6-3. So far this season, Seattle U is 5-0 in the Redhawk Center. The Redhawks are also 4-1 at Climate Pledge Arena.

GET YOUR TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available and may be purchased online at goseattleu.com/tix or over the phone at 206-398-GOSU. In compliance with the mandate from Washington state, Climate Pledge Arena requires all guests, ages 12 and over to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result. More details are available at climatepledgearena.com/vaccinations. Fans ages 12 and older attending games at Seattle University's Redhawk Center will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result. More details are available at goseattleu.com.

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