SEATTLE – For the first time in 39 total meetings between Seattle University men's basketball and the Washington Huskies, the game went into extra time. But after leading for more than 40 minutes, including a 16-point advantage late in the first half, the Redhawks came up short in a heartbreaking 100-99 double overtime loss Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
A stellar first half of play for the Redhawks (6-4) saw the home team shoot nearly 60% from the field, including 9-of-14 from three, while building a 47-33 lead at the break.
Paris Dawson knocked down four threes in the half, Cameron Tyson added 11 points and John Christofilis added six points off the bench in his first appearance in nearly five weeks after suffering a hand injury in the season opener.
The Huskies (7-3) flipped the script in the second half, shooting nearly 67% from the field as they closed the gap. They would tie the game 78-78 on a Keion Brooks, Jr., turnaround jumper with 1:19 to play. An empty possession for each team followed before Alex Schumacher put the Redhawks back on top, 80-78, on a layup with 10 ticks to go.
But the Huskies forced extra time as Sahvir Wheeler scored on a second chance layup at the buzzer.
Seattle U would lead by as many as five in the first extra frame, but again UW rallied, forcing the second five-minute OT period.
Trailing by three in the final seconds, Schumacher scored on a driving layup and earned the and-one trip to the free throw line. But his potential game-tying free throw rimmed out and a second chance three-pointer at the buzzer was well off.
Schumacher paced five Redhawks in double figures with 20 points to go along with eight assists. Tyson finished with 18 points, Dawson had 16, Brandton Chatfield added 17 points and 10 boards and Seyi Reiley chipped in 10 points.
Brooks Jr., led UW with 22 points. Wheeler added 19 to go with 14 assists as six total Huskies scored in double figures.
Coming in as the conference leader in free-throw shooting, the Redhawks managed just 14-for-25 from the stripe.
The Redhawks' homestead continues Wednesday, Dec. 20 when they host Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m in the Redhawk Center.
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