STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Seattle University men's basketball battled back from an 18-point second half deficit to trail by just one late against Tarleton State, but the Redhawks could not get over the hump in a 67-64 defeat at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville, Texas Saturday night.
There were 54 total fouls called and 40 combined turnovers in Western Athletic Conference contest as the two teams battled wire-to-wire.
A back-and-forth first half ended with the Redahwks' Vasja Pandža dropping a stepback jumper to send the teams into the break knotted at 32-32. But out of the gates in the second half, Seattle U went 8:20 without a point as the Texans rolled off an 18-0 run to lead 50-32.
Kobe Williamson finally put the Redhawks on the board in the frame with a turnaround jumper in the paint at the 11:40 mark. Seattle U would grind its way back, making it a one-possession game, 56-53, on a Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe layup at the 5:16 mark.
Tarleton State extended the lead back to nine, 63-54, but the Redhawks answered again, this time in the form of seven straight points by Maleek Arington and a three by John Christofilis to cut the Texans' lead to one, 65-64, with 56 seconds remaining.
Dantwan Grimes would help the Texans hold on, hitting 2-of-4 free throws in the final minutes and Christofilis' potential game-tying three at the buzzer came up just short.
Christofilis finished with 15 points and Williamson added 14 for the Redhawks. Chris Mpaka led all scorers with 20 points. Grimes added 16 for the Texans.
Seattle U remains on the road next week, traveling to Orem, Utah, to face WAC-leader Utah Valley on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tip off from the UCCU Center is 2 p.m. Mountain Time, 1 p.m. Pacific.
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 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.