The Washington Huskies tipped off their 2025-26 season on Monday against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions. The Dawgs had an almost completely new roster taking the floor for the first time in a regular-season game. Danny Sprinkle wanted a strong start to the season to begin his second year as Washington’s head coach. The Huskies made a fantastic first impression against the Golden Lions in their season opener.
Washington has two freshmen leading the way, as the team dominates the glass in the first half.
The Huskies’ 6-11 freshman forward Hannes Steinbach from Wurzburg, Germany, put on a clinic in the first half. He led all scorers with 15 points, and he electrified the crowd early with a slam dunk. Steinbach scored on 7/8 FG attempts, had five rebounds, and two assists in the first half as well. Freshman guard J.J. Mandaquit also led all Dawgs in assists with five. The Huskies dominated the glass 27-12, as they cruised to a 41-18 halftime lead.
Washington continues to own the paint in the second half
The Huskies’ size overwhelmed the Golden Lions on Monday, as they continued to dominate the glass in the second half. Washington out-rebounded the Arkansas-Pine Bluff 53-32 for the game. They allowed just six second-chance points and outscored the Golden Lions 36-12 in points in the paint. The Huskies’ forwards led the way, attacking the glass. Bryson Tucker had a team-high 10 rebounds, Franck Kepnang had nine rebounds, and Hannes Steinbach had seven rebounds. The Dawgs’ dominance on the glass led to a 94-50 win over the Golden Lions. Danny Sprinkle spoke after the game about his team’s effort in rebounding the ball, particularly Bryson Tucker:
“But, you know, I mean, the one I’m really proud of is Bryson Tucker. You know, I mean, to get 10 rebounds, and he could have had 15 or 16. You know, like he went every time. And that’s something that we’ve been really, you know, talking. That’s where he can be effective, ’cause he’s so athletic, we saw on his lob plays. But that type of effort, like that’s everybody on our team has to have that type of effort.”
Bryson Tucker was active all night for the Huskies. He ended up finishing with a double-double: 12 points and 10 rebounds. His effort, along with his teammates in the paint, was also significant because they struggled against UNLV and Boise State in scrimmages, particularly at the rim. Seeing Washington hold Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 12 points in the paint was a step in the right direction for the defense.
The Huskies win by the numbers
The Dawgs had five players score in double figures against the Golden Lions. Hannes Steinbach had a team-high 21 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Guards Zoom Diallo and Wesley Yates each scored 14 points. Forward Bryson Tucker had 12 points, and guard Quimari Peterson scored 13 points. The Huskies had 21 assists tonight on 30 made field goals. They also made 10-25 three-pointers and shot 40% from three-point range. Washington shot 24-33 from the free throw line, making 73% of its free throws. They will look to continue to improve those numbers when they take on Denver Thursday night.
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