SEATTLE – The final second of the game just did not tick off fast enough for Seattle University men's basketball on Saturday night.
Jake Davis drained a 3-pointer from the right of the lane that swished through at the buzzer as Cal Poly scored the final six points of the game to beat the Redhawks, 73-71.
The non-conference contest inside the Redhawk Center capped off Homecoming Week and Parents & Family Weekend.
Will Heimbrodt pumped in 20 points for Seattle U (1-1). Brayden Maldonado added 17 points and five rebounds.
The Redhawks had a 10-point lead at 62-52 with 5:36 left in the game. It was still a three-possession margin at 67-60 after a Maldonado 3-pointer at the 2:48 mark.
Cal Poly (2-1) twice climbed back within two, 67-65 and 69-67.
A driving layin by Maldonado off an assist from Austin Maurer after Maurer broke some backcourt defensive pressure gave Seattle U a 71-67 edge with 25 seconds on the clock.
Kieran Elliott’s 3-pointer from deep in the right corner cut it to 71-70 with 11 seconds left. Jojo Murphy had a 1-and-1 opportunity for the Redhawks at 9.9 seconds, but the ball bounced off the rim on the first try and Cal Poly’s Hamad Mousa rebounded.
Out of a timeout, the Mustangs brought the ball up the right side under swarming defensive pressure by SU. It went to Davis, who nearly slipped, but stayed on his feet, kept control of the ball and launched it in time.
After a back-and-forth first half ended with Cal Poly up 39-38, the Redhawks started the second half on an 11-0 run to build a 49-39 lead. They forced the Mustangs to miss their first seven shots and kept them off the scoreboard for the first 6:09 of the half.
The lead stayed between five and 10 points until the closing moment of the game.
By the Numbers
- Heimbrodt now has gone for at least 20 in each of the first two games. He had a career-high 24 on Monday against Denver. On Saturday, he hit 8-of-13 from the field before being hit with his fifth foul with 1:20 left in the game.
- The Redhawks shot 46 percent, hitting 29-of-63. That included 27.6 percent (8 of 29) behind the 3-point arc. The overall accuracy was slightly better than the 45.8 percent in the Denver game.
- Maldonado drained 7-of-14 from the field. He has hit 16-of-29 (55.2 percent) in the first two games. Heimbrodt is at 63 percent (17-of-27).
- Cal Poly hit 37.7 percent (23-of-58), and was 33.3 percent (11-of-33) from downtown. The Mustangs hit seven of their first 14 from long range.
- SU has kept both of its first two opponents under 40 percent overall, as Denver hit just 37.5 percent.
- Along with Maldonado’s five rebounds, Junseok Yeo also had five.
- Yeo and Maleek Arington each dished four of Seattle U’s 14 assists.
Up Next
The Redhawks continue their season-opening four-game homestand on Wednesday when Eastern Washington visits the Redhawk Center. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m.
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