Loading

GAME PREVIEW: MBB at Grand Canyon

SEATTLE – Closing out the month of January with an unblemished 8-0 record and extending their overall streak to nine, Seattle U men's basketball (17-4, 8-0 WAC) embarks on one of the most challenging Western Athletic Conference road trips this week, beginning a two-game swing away from Seattle with a match-up against Grand Canyon (14-5, 4-3 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 3 in Phoenix. The Redhawks and Lopes will tip off at 7 p.m. Arizona Time, 6 p.m. Pacific at GCU Arena. The game will broadcast live on FOX 10 XTRA and ESPN+ and can also be hear over the airwaves on KXSU 102.1 FM in Seattle or kxsu.org.

Opens in a new window Game Notes Opens in a new window ESPN+ Opens in a new window Listen Opens in a new window Live Stats
GAME PREVIEW: MBB at Grand CanyonGAME PREVIEW: MBB at Grand Canyon

SEATTLE – Closing out the month of January with an unblemished 8-0 record and extending their overall streak to nine, Seattle U men's basketball (17-4, 8-0 WAC) embarks on one of the most challenging Western Athletic Conference road trips this week, beginning a two-game swing away from Seattle with a match-up against Grand Canyon (14-5, 4-3 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 3 in Phoenix. The Redhawks and Lopes will tip off at 7 p.m. Arizona Time, 6 p.m. Pacific at GCU Arena. The game will broadcast live on FOX 10 XTRA and ESPN+ and can also be hear over the airwaves on KXSU 102.1 FM in Seattle or kxsu.org.

FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS

QUICK HITS

  • Continuing to impress during a historic run through the 2021-22 season, Seattle U rallied from a 19-point, first-half deficit to lead by as many as 22 in the second half and eventually settle for a 78-63 win over Sam Houston on Saturday at the Redhawk Center.
  • The win marked the ninth straight for the Redhawks as they moved to 17-4 on the season and 8-0 in the WAC. This marks the first-ever 8-0 start in the WAC in 10 seasons and keeps Seattle U as the lone unbeaten atop the current WAC standings.
  • This marks the first time Seattle U has had 17 wins in its first 21 games since the 1963-64 season. That team went 19-4 before losing a fifth time, and ultimately finished 22-6.
  • Five Redhawk scored in double figures, led by Darrion Trammell's 20-point effort.
  • Cameron Tyson added 15 points, Vasja Pandža matched a career-high with 14, Riley Grigsby had 11 and Emeka Udenyi chipped in 10.
  • Udenyi added 10 rebounds with his 10 points for his first double-double of the season.
  • Viktor Rajković hauled in a career-high 12 rebounds, all on the defensive end, as the Redhawks held the Bearkats to just four offensive boards.
  • The Redhawks hit 10 three-pointers against Sam Houston, marking the 13th time this season that they've made double-digit threes. They lead the WAC averaging 10.3 three-pointers per game.

ABOUT THE STREAK

  • The Redhawks have won nine straight games, the longest streak since winning 10 straight from Jan 13, 2009 through Feb. 27, 2009.
  • The current nine-game streak surpassed a six-game run earlier this season.
  • The nine-game stretch includes four road wins. The Redhawks last had four road wins in a season in 2018-19, though just two of those came during WAC play.
  • The streak has helped Seattle U climb up the NCAA NET rankings. The Redhawks entered the week at 118, the highest rank the program has received.
  • In games played through Jan. 31, Seattle U was one of just 16 DI programs unbeaten in conference play.

ABOUT THE SERIES VS GRAND CANYON
This with be the 19th all-time meeting between Seattle U and Grand Canyon, with the Lopes holding a 14-4 advantage in the series. The teams split the season series over the past three years.

Seattle U opened the two-game series with a 63-57 win over the Lopes on Feb. 26, 2021. Four player scored in double figures including 17 from Darrion Trammell and a career-high 14 from Kobe Williamson. Just 24 hours later, GCU was the victor of an 81-71 final. Trammell scored 28 points and Riley Grigsby added 25. The Lopes would go on to win the third meeting of the season, 81-47, in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament, on their way to their first ever WAC Championship.

The Redhawks' first win in the series came on Jan. 30, 2016, a 59-57 victory in GCU Arena. SU rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit and outscored the Lopes 31-22 in the second half. That remains the lone win for Seattle U in Phoenix.

NATIONAL RANKS
In games played through Jan. 31, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in 9 team categories:

  • 11th in 3-pt FGs made (216)
  • 11th in 3-pt FG per game (10.3)
  • 13th in 3-pt FG attempts (600)
  • 17th in FT% (77.5)
  • 23rd in won-loss % (81.0)
  • 39th in turnover margin (3.4)
  • 39th in scoring margin (10.8)
  • 43rd in defensive rebounds per game (27.7)
  • 49th in scoring offense (77.3)

In games played through Jan. 31, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in 11 individual categories:

GRIGSBY JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB
Riley Grigsby's turnaround jumper at the 9:03 mark of the second half versus Sam Houston pushed him over the 1,000-point mark for his career. He finished the night with 11 points and now has 1,005 career points. The last players to achieve the feat were Terrell Brown and Morgan Means, who both reached the milestone during the 2019-20 season. Grigsby became the fifth Seattle U player to reach the 1,000-point mark in the modern Division I era, joining Aaron Broussard, Brown, Means and Isiah Umipig as those who have achieved the feat.

TYSON FOR THREE

  • 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 had seven threes for a second time this season on Jan. 15 versus Dixie State.
  • His 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.
  • With 78 made threes through 21 games, Tyson is moves ino 8th on Seattle U's single-season top-10 list for single season three pointers. Next on the list is Jarell Flora (2014-15) at No. 7 with 80 three pointers.
  • Isiah Umipig tops the list with 123 made threes during the 2014-15 season. Umipig is the only player to top 100 threes in a season, also holding the No. 2 spot with 106 from the 2013-14 season.

VICTOR EARNS COACHING HONOR
After leading the Redhawks to a 3-0 record on the road last week, Interim Head Coach Chris Victor was selected as the Week 11 HoopDirt.com Division I Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions. The weekly honor makes him eligible to receive the HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award presented by Just Play Solutions which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2021-22 college basketball season. This is the seventh season that HoopDirt.com has run the Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year programs.

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 were rescheduled to take place Jan. 17 at California Baptist and Feb. 21 versus NM State.

Stay connected with Seattle U men's basketball and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.