SEATTLE - Senior leadership was the staple piece in elevating Seattle University women’s basketball (5-11, 1-4 WCC) to the program’s first West Coast Conference victory as redshirt senior Tamia Stricklin and graduate Ella Brubaker combined for 40 points in the 68-62 victory over San Diego (6-12, 0-5 WCC) at the Redhawk Center on Thursday night.
Stricklin and Brubaker both shot 54.5 percent from the field en route to their respective 20-pieces, each connecting three times from behind the arc on five attempts. The pair combined for 10 makes from the free throw line, with Brubaker going 5-for-5 from the stripe. Stricklin led the senior duo with six rebounds and three assists while Brubaker grabbed a block and two steals.
Sophomore Sydnie Rodriguez grabbed a new career best 11 rebounds, finishing one point shy of a double-double, scoring nine points. She went perfect from the free throw line, 4-for-4, while handing out three assists.
Freshman Jana Vesic scored nine off the bench for the Redhawks, compiling three makes from the field and going perfect (2-2) from the charity stripe. She matched her season high in rebounds, hauling in five on the night.
The Redhawks shot 43 percent from the field, including nine makes from three point land, posting a 41 percent shooting clip from behind the arc. The WCC’s leading free throw percentage team shot 89 percent on 19 attempts from the stripe. Seattle U forced 14 turnovers, collecting a block and three steals. The Redhawks handed out 12 assists to San Diego’s nine, while grabbing 30 rebounds.
Stricklin got off to a quick start, scoring the first five points for SU behind 66.6 percent shooting from the field. Brubaker scored four from the free throw line, while Rodriguez led the defense with three rebounds. The Redhawks held the Toreros to 28.6 percent shooting in the first quarter, but took the 16-15 lead into the second quarter after closing 6-2 run by USD.
Rodriguez took control of the offense in the second quarter, scoring five, while also leading the defense with five rebounds. Stricklin maneuvered the offense with two assists and three points as SU took the slim 28-25 lead into the break.
San Diego turned the tables in the third quarter, out-scoring Seattle U by five to take the 44-42 lead into the closing ten minutes. Brubaker led the charge with eight points through the third quarter shooting 75 percent from the field, including two pivotal triples.
The Redhawks surged in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points. They led by as many as ten as Stricklin went nuclear in the opening minutes of the final ten minutes. She rattled off eight points within the first two minutes, scoring on back-to-back possessions from three off assists from Vesic.
Stricklin went perfect through the fourth, going 3-for-3 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the stripe. Brubaker matched Stricklin in perfection in the fourth, scoring six points, while Vesic also went perfect, scoring four points. Seattle U shot 90 percent in the final ten minutes of play, while going perfect (4-4) from three point land.
The Redhawks captured their first WCC and moved to 2-2 against San Diego in Seattle. The win was the first over the Toreros since 2017.
Seattle U concludes the weekend on the road, traveling down the interstate to visit Oregon State in Corvallis for a 1 PM game on Saturday afternoon.
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