SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A tough shooting night stagnated the Seattle U women's basketball team on Friday afternoon as the Redhawks (2-10) fell to Cal Poly (5-6, 1-1 Big West) at Motts Athletic Center.
Senior Sophie Benharouga paced the team with 13 points and a tied-season high seven rebounds for her third double-digit scoring effort in six appearances. She shot 6-16 from the floor and hit 50 percent from three, while adding a block and an assist.
Freshman Candy Edokpaigbe added 12 points and two steals, moving her steal streak to 12 games with one or more steals. She went 5-of-7 from the floor, while notching a block and hauling in six rebounds.
The Redhawks outrebounded Cal Poly 44 to 38, their most rebounds in a game this season. Redshirt junior Tamia Stricklin added five rebounds and six points to the effort while dishing out two assists. Graduates Taisiya Kozlova and Christeina Bryan combined for nine rebounds, while Kozlova was one of five Redhawks with an offensive board.
Both teams were sluggish offensively through the opening minutes of the contest. Seattle U broke through midway through the first quarter off a bucket from Benharouga, but were unable to generate anything further. Trailing by 14 after the opening ten minutes, freshman Lucy Larson got the Redhawks off on the right foot, hitting a triple after Kozlova generated a steal on the other end of the floor.
Fellow freshman, Edokpaigbe, took notes from her fellow classmate, scoring the next seven points for the Redhawks. Benharouga hit a jumper to pull Seattle U within nine before the Mustangs added a basket with three seconds left to take the 11 point lead heading into the half.
The Mustangs took control out of the gates in the second half, their three point shooting surging as they combined for eight makes after only scoring one in the first half. Seattle U in turn, was unable to respond in a similar fashion and faced a deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Trailing 57-29 at the end of the third quarter, the Redhawks limited the Mustangs' three point attack in the closing minutes. With time against them, the Redhawks began to claw back, but fell by 25 on the road.
Seattle U returns to action on Sunday, December 29 against CSU Bakersfield to close out the nonconference slate. The Redhawks return to the Redhawk Center to start conference play on January 4th.
Purchase Tickets
Season ticket deposits and group experience deposits are available for purchase. Single game tickets are also available now. Visit goseattleu.com/tix or contact the Seattle U Athletics Ticket Office at 206-398-GOSU or seattleutickets@seattleu.edu for more information.
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a gift to Seattle University Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly impacts all Redhawk student athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Thank you for supporting Seattle University Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Stay connected with Seattle U women'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.
Senior Sophie Benharouga paced the team with 13 points and a tied-season high seven rebounds for her third double-digit scoring effort in six appearances. She shot 6-16 from the floor and hit 50 percent from three, while adding a block and an assist.
Freshman Candy Edokpaigbe added 12 points and two steals, moving her steal streak to 12 games with one or more steals. She went 5-of-7 from the floor, while notching a block and hauling in six rebounds.
The Redhawks outrebounded Cal Poly 44 to 38, their most rebounds in a game this season. Redshirt junior Tamia Stricklin added five rebounds and six points to the effort while dishing out two assists. Graduates Taisiya Kozlova and Christeina Bryan combined for nine rebounds, while Kozlova was one of five Redhawks with an offensive board.
Both teams were sluggish offensively through the opening minutes of the contest. Seattle U broke through midway through the first quarter off a bucket from Benharouga, but were unable to generate anything further. Trailing by 14 after the opening ten minutes, freshman Lucy Larson got the Redhawks off on the right foot, hitting a triple after Kozlova generated a steal on the other end of the floor.
Fellow freshman, Edokpaigbe, took notes from her fellow classmate, scoring the next seven points for the Redhawks. Benharouga hit a jumper to pull Seattle U within nine before the Mustangs added a basket with three seconds left to take the 11 point lead heading into the half.
The Mustangs took control out of the gates in the second half, their three point shooting surging as they combined for eight makes after only scoring one in the first half. Seattle U in turn, was unable to respond in a similar fashion and faced a deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Trailing 57-29 at the end of the third quarter, the Redhawks limited the Mustangs' three point attack in the closing minutes. With time against them, the Redhawks began to claw back, but fell by 25 on the road.
Seattle U returns to action on Sunday, December 29 against CSU Bakersfield to close out the nonconference slate. The Redhawks return to the Redhawk Center to start conference play on January 4th.
Purchase Tickets
Season ticket deposits and group experience deposits are available for purchase. Single game tickets are also available now. Visit goseattleu.com/tix or contact the Seattle U Athletics Ticket Office at 206-398-GOSU or seattleutickets@seattleu.edu for more information.
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a gift to Seattle University Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly impacts all Redhawk student athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Thank you for supporting Seattle University Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Stay connected with Seattle U women'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.