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West Coast Conference Play Continues Friday at No. 7 Gonzaga

Seattle University men’s basketball embarks its first West Coast Conference road swing, a three-game stretch that begins in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, Jan. 2 at No. 7 Gonzaga. The Redhawks and Zags will meet for the first time since 1980 in a 6 p.m. tip-off from the McCarthey Athletic Center. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.

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West Coast Conference Play Continues Friday at No. 7 GonzagaWest Coast Conference Play Continues Friday at No. 7 Gonzaga

SEATTLE – Seattle University men’s basketball embarks its first West Coast Conference road swing, a three-game stretch that begins in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, Jan. 2 at No. 7 Gonzaga. The Redhawks and Zags will meet for the first time since 1980 in a 6 p.m. tip-off from the McCarthey Athletic Center. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.

FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS

  • Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM PT
  • Seattle U (12-3, 1-1 WCC) at No. 7 Gonzaga (14-1, 2-0 WCC)
  • McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, WA
  • Live Stats
  • Watch on ESPN+
  • Game Notes

QUICK HITS

  • The Redhawk picked up their first West Coast Conference win on Monday, Dec. 30 with a 69-55 final against Washington State at Climate Pledge Arena.
  • The WCC victory was Seattle U’s first as a member of the WCC since Feb. 28, 1980 when they beat San Diego, 76-58, in San Diego. The 1979-80 season was Seattle U’s final in a nine-year stint in the then WCAC. This 2025-26 season is the program’s first back in the conference.
  • The win moved Seattle U to 12-3 overall and 1-1 in league play. The 12-3 record is the best start to a season in Seattle U’s modern DI era. The previous best record through 15 games was 11-4 in 2022-23. Those Redhawks went on to win their first Western Athletic Conference regular season championship and finish the year 20-12.
  • The last time Seattle U started a season better than 12-3 was 1963-64 when they extended to 16-3 before losing a fourth time.
  • For the seventh time this season, Brayden Maldonado led the Redhawks in scoring, finishing with 15 points against the Cougars. Junseok Yeo added 10 points. Will Heimbrodt and Austin Maurer had three blocks apiece as Seattle U held WSU to a season-low 55 points and 27.5% FG shooting.

ABOUT THE SERIES VS GONZAGA

  • Seattle U and Gonzaga once had a storied regional rivalry, entering Friday’s match-up with 71 previous all-time meetings. But the teams have not met since 1980.
  • The teams were conference opponents for the 1979-80 season – Gonzaga’s first in the then West Coast Athletic Conference and Seattle U’s final season in the league.
  • Seattle U won the final meeting on Feb. 12, 1980 by a score of 87-66 at the Seattle Arena.
  • The bulk of the all-time meetings were in the 1950s and 60s.
  • The series dates back the 1946-47 season.

AGAINST THE RANKS

  • The Redhawks have yet to defeat a top-25 opponent in their modern DI era.
  • Seattle U’s Friday meeting with No. 7 Gonzaga marks just the fifth meeting against a ranked opponent in its modern-day DI era (dating back to the 2008-09 season), and the highest ranked opponent to date.
  • Last season, the Redhawks travel to Durham, N.C., to date then-No. 11 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 70-48.
  • The Redhawks battled then No. 22 Washington on Dec. 17, 2019. Seattle U led at halftime of that meeting, but the Huskies used a 23-3 surge in the final five minutes of play to win, 81-59.
  • On Dec. 21, 2011, Seattle U hosted No. 24 Virginia at KeyArena. The Cavaliers won, 83-77.
  • The Redhawks’ first ranked match-up came on Mar. 3, 2009 against then No. 13 Washington. The Huskies would claim an 87-60 victory at Alaska Airlines Arena.

VERSUS THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

  • Seattle U hosts all four other Division I programs in the state of Washington during the 2025-26 season and play six total games against DI intra-state rivals.
  • The Redhawks are 3-0 thus far with wins over Eastern Washington (94-67) on Nov. 12, Washington (70-66) on Dec. 19  and Washington State (69-55) on Dec. 30.
  • The final home game will be on Jan. 17 against Gonzaga.
  • The Redhawks also travel to Gonzaga on Jan. 2 and to Washington State on Jan. 28.

NCAA NET RANKING

  • The first NET ranking of the season debuted on Dec. 1. Seattle U debuted at 109 which was the fifth highest in the West Coast Conference.
  • Coming off of their 70-66 win over Washington, the Redhawks broke into the top-100 for the first time this season, coming in at No. 99.
  • The Redhawks’ peak was No. 93 on Dec. 23 and in games played through Dec. 30, they sit at 107, good for fourth best in the WCC behind Gonzaga (5), Saint Mary’s (24) and Santa Clara (69).

GET YOUR TICKETS
Single-game tickets, mini plans and group experiences are on sale now. All ticket options may be purchased online at goseattleu.com/tix or over the phone at 206-398-GOSU.

UP NEXT
The Redhawks continue a challenging West Coast Conference three-game road swing, traveling to Moraga, Calif., to face Saint Mary’s on Sunday, Jan. 4. Tip off from University Credit Union Pavilion is 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

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