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GAME PREVIEW: MBB vs. UT Arlington

SEATTLE – Seattle University men's basketball (18-10, 11-6 WAC) concludes its final homestand of the season on Thursday, Feb. 29, hosting UT Arlington (15-13, 10-7 WAC) in a Western Athletic Conference match-up. Tip off is 7 p.m. in the Redhawk Center and the game will air on ESPN+. Seattle U's senior class of Cameron Tyson, Alex Schumacher, Seyi Reiley and Matthew Levis will be honored prior to the game.

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GAME PREVIEW: MBB vs. UT ArlingtonGAME PREVIEW: MBB vs. UT Arlington

SEATTLE – Seattle University men's basketball (18-10, 11-6 WAC) concludes its final homestand of the season on Thursday, Feb. 29, hosting UT Arlington (15-13, 10-7 WAC) in a Western Athletic Conference match-up. Tip off is 7 p.m. in the Redhawk Center and the game will air on ESPN+. Seattle U's senior class of Cameron Tyson, Alex Schumacher, Seyi Reiley and Matthew Levis will be honored prior to the game.

FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS

QUICK HITS

  • Seattle U extended its current win streak to four straight after earning a dominating 84-56 victory over UTRGV on Feb. 24 in the Redhawk Center.
  • The Redhawks improved to 18-10 overall and 11-6 in WAC play, maintaining sole possession of third place (behind Grand Canyon and Tarleton) in the conference standings.
  • Seattle U picked up its 18th win of the season Saturday night, inching closer to a potential 20-win season for a third consecutive year. The last back-to-back-to-back 20-win seasons was 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59.
  • The 11 WAC win continues Seattle U's double-digit conference wins streak for a third consecutive season, and the only three seasons they have hit the marker since joining the conference in 2012-13.
  • Cameron Tyson scored 21 points on Saturday versus UTRGV, surpassing 2,000 points for his collegiate career. While a portion of his points came at other institutions, Tyson becomes just the second player ever to don a Seattle University jersey and have over 2,000 career points. Seattle U's all-time leading scorer is Johnny O'Brien (1950-53) with 2,733 career points.
  • John Christofilis led all scorers with 24 points versus UTRGV, including six three pointers, which matches a career-high for the redshirt sophomore.
  • The Redhawks hit a season-high 14 three-pointers versus UTRGV, marking the eighth double-digit output of the season.
  • The 22 -point win over UTRGV moved Seattle U to a perfect 9-0 in game decided by 11 or more points.
  • In holding UTRGV to 56 points, the Redhawks improve to 7-0 when keeping opponents under 60 points.

SEATTLE STORYLINES

  • On the offensive end, Seattle U is shooting 44.8% from the field on the season, their highest season total since the first year of the program's modern DI history in 2008-09 when they finished the season having shot at a 45.2% clip.
  • After missing nine games due to hand injury, John Christofilis has bounced back without missing a step, averaging 13.5 ppg  since his return. The stretch has included a career-high 32 points on Jan. 4 vs Utah Tech and double-digit scoring in 11 of the last 15 games.
  • Kobe Williamson has scored a pair of game-winning baskets on the season, including a putback, and-1 layup and free throw at California Baptist on Feb. 3 and a putback dunk on Feb. 17 at Utah Tech. 
  • Williamson has also turned in career-best numbers all season long. The 6-8 forward is averaging 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 47% FGs, 26% from three and 76% FTs. This are all career-highs for the fourth-year junior (due to COVID) who averaged 4.2 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 37% FGs and 26% from three last season.
  • The Redhawks lead the WAC and are among the top teams in the nation in three-point percentage defense, holding teams to 29.6% from beyond the arc.
  • Alex Schumacher scored his 1,500th career point at SFA on Jan. 18 as part of a 24-point effort. His 12th point of the night hit the milestone marker. Schumacher joins Cameron Tyson to give Seattle U a pair of players who have over 1,500 career points.
  • With the one-point win at Utah Tech on Feb. 17, the Redhawks have won the last three games decided by five points or less. On the season, they are now 5-8 in those games. The collective total of their 10 losses is just 38 points, or an average of 3.8 ppg.
  • The overtime finish at Grand Canyon on Feb. 1 was the Redhawks' fifth game to go extra time this season. They are 1-4 in OT games this season and 2-4 all-time under Head Coach Chris Victor.

ABOUT THE SERIES VS UT ARLINGTON

  • Seattle U and UT Arlington have just five previous meetings in program history with the Redhawks holding a slim 3-2 series edge.
  • The Mavericks snapped a three-game Seattle U win streak on Jan. 13, winning 80-75 in Arlington. Seattle U got 22 points from John Christofilis and 21 from Alex Schumacher but were without Cameron Tyson for the game due to an ankle injury.
  • Seattle U swept the home-and-home series last year, winning 76-61 in Arlington and 80-56 in the regular-season finale in Seattle.
  • The teams had last faced off in a home-and-home series during the 2012-13 season. That season marked Seattle U's first in the Western Athletic Conference while the Mavericks were in the midst of a one-year stint in the league. Each team would win on the opposing team's court that year.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Seattle U has gone 42-7 (.857) on its home court during the past two-plus seasons under Head Coach Chris Victor. That record includes a 32-3 (.914) mark at the Redhawk Center, including 12-1 in 2023-24, and a 12-4 mark in 16 games played at Climate Pledge Arena.

WINNING AT THE NET
Seattle U has a pair of wins over teams ranked in the top-70 of the NCAA NET at the time of the game. The Redhawks took down No. 66-ranked Louisiana Tech on Dec. 20, 79-73, the toppled No. 41 Grand Canyon on Jan. 20. At the time of each game, the opponent represented the Redhawks' highest NET win of the season. Seattle U is ranked No. 114 in games played through Feb. 26.

MILESTONE MARCH - POINTS
A pair of Redhawks are racking up points and closing in on significant milestone markers.

  • Cameron Tyson surpassed the 2,000 point marker for his career on Feb. 24 vs. UTRGV. He finished the gmae with 21 points, bringing his collegiate career total to 2,003.
  • Tyson is now 46 points away from 1,500 points scored in his three seasons at Seattle U. The last player toreach the marker was Riley Grigsby (2019-23) who finished with 1,501. 
  • Tyson could crack the Seattle U top-10 list in scoring. He is 76 points away from No. 10 Jawann Oldham (1976-80, 1530).
  • Alex Schumacher scored 24 points at SFA on Jan. 18, hitting the 1,500 career-point mark with his 12th point of the night. He now sits at 1,653 and counting.

MILESTONE MARCH - REBOUNDS
A trio of Redhawks have been closing in on 500 rebounds for their career:

  • Cameron Tyson checks in with 486 career rebounds, needing 14 more to hit 500.
  • Alex Schumacher collected seven rebounds on Feb. 22 versus Stephen F. Austin, surpassing 500 career rebounds. He now has 504 for his career.
  • Kobe Williamson hauled in 11 rebounds on Jan. 26 versus Utah Valley, surpassing 500 career rebounds. He now has 568 for his career.

ATOP THE WAC
In games played through Feb. 26, the Redhawks lead the WAC in three team statistical categories and five individual categories.

  • FG% Defense - 40.5% (also No. 23 in the nation)
  • 3pt% Defense - 29.6% (also No. 13 in the nation)
  • 3pt% - 34.8%
  • Defensive Rebounds - 27.21 per game (also No. 48 in the nation)
  • Assists - Alex Schumacher, 138 (also No. 49 in the nation)
  • Assists per game - Alex Schumacher, 4.9 (also No. 57 in the nation)
  • 3pt% - Cameron Tyson, 39.4 (also No. 37 in the nation)
  • 3pt per game - Cameron Tyson, 3.20 (also No. 14 in the nation)
  • 3pt made - Cameron Tyson, 80 (also No. 28 in the nation)

NCAA ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS

  • Cameron Tyson is one of three active players across the nation to have over 400 three-pointers for their career. His collegiate career total of 423 three pointers in 137 games played ranks third among all active Division I players (and third among players across all three divisions). He trails Texas' Max Abmas (494, 150 games) and Marshall's Kamdyn Curfman (450, 151 games).
  • Tyson also ranks No. 23 (in games through Feb. 26) among active NCAA DI players in career points with 2,003.

RECORD BREAKERS

  • Cameron Tyson drained four threes on Dec. 20 versus Louisiana Tech to bring his Seattle U career total to 241. His third three of the night pushed him past former record-holder Aaron Waite (1988-92).
  • Kobe Williamson tallied the 110th block of his career against Northwest on Dec. 9, moving him past previous Seattle U record-holder Aaron Menzies (2015-18) to become the outright record holder.
  • Brandton Chatfield is working his way up the Seattle U career blocks top-10 list as well, checking in at No. 4 with 90.

UP NEXT
The Redhawks close out the regular season on the road next week, traveling to Abilene Christian and Tarleton on Thursday, March 7 and Saturday, March 9, respectively.

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