STOCKTON, Calif. - Four registered double-digit scoring efforts in Seattle University women’s basketball’s (4-8, 0-1 WCC) West Coast Conference debut, but the effort fell shy of victory in the final quarter of action against Pacific (6-6, 1-0 WCC) in the 85-66 defeat inside the Alex G. Spanos Center on Saturday afternoon.
Graduate Ella Brubaker led the team with 14 points on 42.8 percent shooting from the field. She combined for six makes from the floor, including one triple, while recording four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Sophomore Sydnie Rodriguez matched Brubaker with 14 points shooting 55.9 percent. The Boise native went four-of-five from the free throw line, while picking up four rebounds while handing out two assists.
Redshirt senior Tamia Stricklin added 13 points shooting 45.5 percent from the field. She finished two rebounds shy of a double-double, pacing the Redhawks with eight rebounds. Stricklin matched Rodriguez with two assists, while also picking up a steal on the defensive end.
Freshman Jana Vesic scored 12 off the bench for her fifth double-digit performance of the year. She led all scorers from the charity stripe, connecting on all six attempts from the line for a new collegiate high.
Seattle U’s other two freshmen combined for two blocks as Chloe Emanga and Dylan Mogel also combined for nine rebounds. Mogel led the duo with six rebounds, a new collegiate high.
The Redhawks shot a combined 40 percent on the day, connecting five times from behind the arc. They went 14-of-15 from the free throw line. SU picked up two blocks and forced four steals. The rebound battle ended in a tie, as the Redhawks went for 37 on the day.
Milkovic opened the scoring for Seattle U, scoring five points, including her second triple of the season. Rodriguez leveled the contest early with her first bucket of the day past the midway point of the first. Brubaker gave SU its first lead scoring seven points over one minute before Rodriguez built the Redhawks largest lead to seven, 16-9, with 2:32 left in the first. The Tigers pulled back within a possession before a triple from Stricklin gave the Redhawks the 19-17 advantage through the first ten minutes of play.
The second quarter mimicked the first, with both teams getting off to a cold start. Rodriguez kicked off scoring before SU reclaimed the lead from the charity stripe with four makes from Emanga and Vesic. Vesic would follow up with her first make from three point land at the midway point to half as Stricklin put the Redhawks up two possessions from the line. SU led 32-28 with under two left before the break but the Tigers turned the tables to take the 36-32 lead into the half.
Pacific saw its most fruitful half coming out of the break but the Redhawks kept around from the free throw line. After trailing by double-digits, SU chipped back within eight as Vesic and Stricklin combined for four points over the final minute of the third. The Redhawks came out hot in the start of the fourth as Vesic put SU within three with her second three pointer of the day. Seattle U kept it close but a scoring surge from the Tigers through the closing minutes would disrupt the Redhawks’ WCC debut.
The Redhawks face another conference road test in Santa Clara, traveling for a Tuesday evening matchup against the Broncos at the Leavey Center before returning home for three games.
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