PORTLAND, Ore. – Seattle U men’s basketball saw a double-digit first-half lead slip away late, as Portland edged the Redhawks 54-53 Saturday evening at the Chiles Center.
Seattle U (15-10, 4-8 WCC) controlled much of the opening 20 minutes, using defensive pressure and transition scoring to jump out to an early advantage. Junseok Yeo sparked the offense early, knocking down a pair of three-pointers as the Redhawks built a 12-point lead midway through the half. The Redhawks held Portland to just 27 percent shooting in the opening frame, including 1-of-8 from three. They closed out the first half on a Jojo Murphy layup to take a 27-19 lead into the break.
Yeo had 10 of his game-high 14 points in the first half while John Christofilis came off the bench to add eight. Christofilis would finish the night with 13 points as he and Yeo were the only Redhawks to reach double figures.
The Pilots (12-14, 5-8 WCC) responded after halftime, shooting 48.1 percent in the second half and steadily chipping away at the deficit. Portland used its size inside to score 20 points in the paint in the final 20 minutes, eventually tying the game at 38-38 with just under 12 minutes to play. From there, the contest featured multiple lead changes as neither team could create separation.
Seattle U reclaimed the lead late behind a clutch three-pointer from Brayden Maldonado and a pair of baskets in the final two minutes to go up 53-49 with under a minute remaining. Portland answered with a three-pointer and, after a defensive stop, converted a second-chance tip-in with one second left to take the lead for good.
Maleek Arington chipped in nine points and three steals, while also holding Portland’s Joel Foxwell to just five points. Maldonado added eight points, five rebounds and four assists. The Redhawks held Portland to just 23.5 percent shooting from three-point range, but were outscored 17-6 in second-chance points.
Seattle U remains on the road next week, traveling to face Santa Clara at the Leavey Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tip off in Santa Clara, Calif., is 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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