Loading

GAME PREVIEW: MBB at Sam Houston

SEATTLE – Seattle U men's basketball (16-4, 7-0 WAC) takes its  eight-game win streak, including seven straight wins to open Western Athletic Conference play, in the road this week, beginning a two-game Texas road swing on Thursday, Jan. 26 at Sam Houston (15-5, 5-3 WAC). Tip off from Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas, is set for 6:30 p.m. Central, 4:30 p.m. Pacific. 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.

Opens in a new window Game Notes Opens in a new window Watch Opens in a new window Listen Opens in a new window Live Stats
GAME PREVIEW: MBB at Sam HoustonGAME PREVIEW: MBB at Sam Houston

SEATTLE – Seattle U men's basketball (16-4, 7-0 WAC) takes its  eight-game win streak, including seven straight wins to open Western Athletic Conference play, in the road this week, beginning a two-game Texas road swing on Thursday, Jan. 26 at Sam Houston (15-5, 5-3 WAC). Tip off from Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas, is set for 7:30 p.m. Central, 5:30 p.m. Pacific. 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

  • Seattle U has won seven straight games to open WAC play for a second straight year following an 81-60 victory over Southern Utah Saturday in the Redhawk Center.
  • The win kept the Redhawks a perfect 9-0 at home this season. Dating back to last season, Seattle U now owns a 10-game home-game win streak.
  • The win marked the 16th of the season for the Redhawks and extended their overall win streak to eight straight.
  • The Redhawks' eight-game win streak is tied for the 7th longest current win streak in the nation.
  • The eight-game win streak is the longest since Seattle U won nine straight around the same time period last season. The 2021-22 streak ran from Dec. 22, 2021-Jan. 29, 2022. That streak was snapped on Feb. 3, 2022 at Grand Canyon.
  • Riley Grigsby led Seattle U once again against the Thunderbirds, pouring in a career-high 33 points, including a career-high seven three-pointers.
  • Grigsby was named WAC Player of the Week for a second consecutive week after averaging 23 points and 6.5 rebounds in two Redhawk wins.
  • Cameron Tyson added 19 points and Alex Schumacher rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points versus Southern Utah.
  • The Redhawks drained 13 three pointers versus Southern Utah, marking the 11th time this season that they've had double-digit threes.
  • On the flip, the Redhawks held SUU to just 1-of-25 from three, marking the second straight game, and third time this season, that they held an opponent to just one three pointer. 
  • In allowing SUU just 60 points, the Redhawks held the (then) nation's leader in scoring (87.5 ppg) 27.5 points below their average.
  • Seattle U heads back on the road with five true road wins this season, just one shy of last year's six road victories, which is the most in Seattle U's modern DI era.

ABOUT THE SERIES VS SAM HOUSTON
This marks just the second all-time meeting between Seattle U and Sam Houston. The first ever contest came last year at the Redhawk Center in the Bearkats first season in the WAC. In that meeting on Jan. 29, it was a showdown between the league's top two teams in the standings. The Redhawks overcame a 19-point first half deficit and routed the Bearkats in the second half, outscoring the visitor 48-24 in the frame to win 78-63 and move to 8-0 in the WAC and 17-4 on the season Playing with a shortened rotation, five of seven players who saw action finished in double figures for Seattle U including Darrion Trammell with 20 points, Cameron Tyson with 14, Vasja Pandža with a career-high 14, Riley Grigsby with 11 and Emeka Udenyi with 10.

REDHAWKS RECEIVE VOTES IN COACHES POLL
On the heels of their eighth straight win, including a 7-0 start to WAC play, the Redhawks are among the teams receiving votes in the latest USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, released Jan. 23. The four votes in Monday's poll marks the Redhawks first-ever appearance in the Coaches Poll (which dates back to 1991-92) and first recognition in a Division I national poll since the 1964-65 season (began the season ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll).

UNBEATEN WHEN...
...playing on Saturday or Sunday (9-0)
...the game is decided by 10 points or less (6-0)
...five players score in double figures (4-0)
...shooting better than 40% from the field (14-0)
...holding opponents to 69 points (12-0)
...holding opponents under 40% from the field (9-0)

RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN PART 1
Through 20 games this season, Cameron Tyson has 64 threes, bringing his Seattle U career total to 169. That mark puts Tyson in sole possession of fourth all-time. Next on the list with the third most career threes is Matej Kavas (2016-19) with 177. The program record of 239 career threes is held by Aaron Waite (1988-92). Riley Grigsby has also entered the career top-10 in three pointers, currently ranking in a tie for seventh with 150.

RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN PART 2
Kobe Williamson and Riley Grigsby both rank in the top 10 for career blocked shots. Williamson enters Thursday's game at Sam Houston with 82 blocks, tied for third all-time. Grigsby sits in seventh with 75 career blocks. The all-time record of 109 blocks is held by Aaron Menzies (2015-18).

TRIO OF 1,000-POINT SCORERS
Alex Schumacher's made free throw at the 16:29 mark of the second half against Iona on Dec. 23 gave the junior guard 1,000 for his career. He scored 886 points during three seasons (including a shortened 2019-20 season due to COVID), and has added 233 points through 20 games played as a Redhawk for 1,115 career points and counting. Shumacher's achievement gives the Redhawks three 1,000-point scorers on the squad as Cameron Tyson sits at 1,362 points for his career and Riley Grigsby has 1,350 career points.

GRIGSBY HEADS TOWARDS LONGEVITY RECORDS
A rare fifth-year senior thanks to the extra year of eligibility allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Riley Grigsby will look to become Seattle U's all-time leader in games played in this season. Through 20 game this season, Grigsby has appeared in 122 games, two shy of the all-time record of 124 held by William Powell (2014-17). With his 33 minutes played versus Southern Utah on Jan. 21, Grigsby remains in second place for career minutes played with 3,323. He recently passed now No. 3 Powell (3,178 minutes) still trails all-time leader Morgan Means (2017-20, 3,737 minutes), who has returned to the program as a graduate assistant this year, by 414 minutes.

NATIONAL RANKS
In games played through Jan. 24, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in six team categories:

  • 7th in 3-pt attempts per game (28.8)
  • 13th in 3-pt percentage defense (28.7)
  • 21st in 3-pters per game (9.5)
  • 22nd in winning percentage (80.0)
  • 35th in rebounds per game (38.75)
  • 40th in defensive rebounds per game (27.35)

In games played through Jan. 24, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in four individual categories:

NET RANKINGS
The first NET rankings of the season were released on Monday, Dec. 5 with Seattle U earning the highest position in ranking history – 61. In games played through Jan. 24, the Redhawks rank 96. The NET, which stands for NCAA Evaluation Tool, replaced the RPI for men's and women's basketball and helps determine which teams are selected for the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season. Beginning this season, the system will now also be a factor used for seeding for the WAC Tournament.

WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

  • Riley Grigsby was named WAC Player of the Week (Jan. 9-15) after averaging 23 points and 8.5 rebounds while leading Seattle U to a 2-0 week of WAC play.
  • Cameron Tyson was named WAC Player of the Week for his performances during the opening week of play, which included averaging 33.5 points, 7.5 threes and 5.5 rebounds per game. He shot better than 56% from the field, including 8-for-13 (55.6%) from three.

VICTOR NAMED HOOPDIRT.COM DI COACH OF THE WEEK
Head Coach Chris Victor was named Hoopdirt.com DI Coach of the Week on Jan. 16 after leading Seattle U to a 2-0 week that included a home win over NM State and a huge road victory at Utah Valley. This marked the second such award for Victor, who also earned the honor once last season.

REDHAWK RUNDOWN

  • Seattle U held Tarleton to just 47 points on Jan. 19, the least points allowed by an opponent since Nov. 23, 2021 when Pacific Lutheran was held to 40 points.
  • The win over NM State on Jan. 12  was just the fifth ever in the 26 games all-time and snapped a three-game skid against the Aggies.
  • The Redhawks shot 53.8% (28-52) from the field versus UTA on Jan. 7, marking their best shooting performance of the season. Their 50% mark from three (10-20) matched the season best, also achieved versus Pacific Lutheran on Nov. 23.
  • In its first-ever game on Christmas Day, Seattle U earned a convincing 85-67 win over George Washington to close out play at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
  • The Redhawks concluded non-conference play with a 9-4 record, marking the second straight season of nine non-conference victories.
  • Seattle U went 32-of-45 from the free-throw line on Dec. 23 against Iona, which marks the most made free throws since making 33 at Utah Valley on Jan. 15, 2021 and the most attempts since Dec. 3, 2009 when they attempted 48 against Cal Poly.
  • Alex Schumacher had a then season-high 17 points versus Iona on Dec. 23 as his made free throw early in the second half gave the junior guard 1,000 points for his career. The Redhawk squad now features a trio of 1,000-point scorers in Schumacher, Riley Grigsby and Cameron Tyson.
  • On Dec. 18, Seattle U's defense held Alcorn State to just 1-for-16 from three, the fewest threes allowed by the Redhawks this season.
  • The overtime victory at North Dakota on Dec. 10 marked the first extra time game played this season. In Head Coach Chris Victor's one-plus year tenure, the Redhawks now have two overtime games, going 2-0 in the contests. Victor's first OT win was a 92-85 final Jan. 17, 2022 at California Baptist.
  • The Redhawks have rallied from double-digit deficits and gone on to win twice this season. The first was a 14-point spread against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 30 at Climate Pledge Arena. The Redhawks won the match-up, 69-62. The second was a 17-point hole at North Dakota on Dec. 10. In that match-up, Seattle U rallied and, in overtime, Alex Schumacher hit the game-winning shot for an 80-78 victory.
  • The five straight wins to start this season marked the best unbeaten start to a season since 2007-08 (the final year Seattle U competed as a DII member), when they went 6-0 before dropping a game.
  • Seattle U won its sixth straight home opener with a 106-55 final over University of Puget Sound on Nov. 9 at the Redhawk Center.
  • Seattle U won its fourth consecutive season opener, downing the Tritons of UC San Diego, 85-71, on Nov. 7.

UP NEXT
Seattle U completes the two-game WAC road swing on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Stephen F. Austin.

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.