The Washington Huskies men’s basketball team hosted the Southern Jaguars Tuesday night at Alaska Airlines Arena .It was the Dawgs first home game since beating WSU in Pullman. The Huskies had to play without forwards Hannes Steinbach and Bryson Tucker. Playing without two key players turned out to be a big challenge against an up-tempo Jaguars team. The Dawgs faced unexpected adversity on Tuesday and found themselves in a tight battle, which eventually went to overtime.
Washington struggles in sloppy first half
The Huskies clearly missed Hannes Steinbach early in this game. Southern outscored Washington 20-10 in the paint during the first half. The Dawgs also turned the ball over 10 times in their sloppiest half of basketball this season. Desmond Claude took the floor for the first time this season and scored seven points to lead the team. Zoom Diallo added six points to help keep the Huskies in the game. Poor shooting was another problem for the Dawgs, as they shot just 36% from the field. However, they did manage to shoot well from the foul line, making nine of 10 free throws. Southern entered the halftime break with a 37-29 lead.
Washington switches to a 1-3-1 zone to stop the Jaguars in the second half
The Huskies’ poor shooting continued to plague them in the second half. They shot just 12 for 34 from the field, making just 35.3% of shots. Fortunately, their defense stepped up big, as they switched to a 1-3-1 zone, after the Dawgs were down 12, 51-39:
“Yeah, the 1-3-1. It changed, like, we couldn’t stop them. When we went to that, you know, like I said, we got five or six stops, six or seven, and then we got a couple run-out layups and got the crowd going a little bit, and our juices going a little bit, and that changed everything”, said Sprinkle.
The Huskies’ big man Franck Kepnang had several big blocks on Southern’s driving guards in the second half. J.J. Mandaquit also played stiffening defense, which helped get the ball out in transition as Washington found ways to score. The Huskies also did a fantastic job of drawing fouls, which gave them opportunities at the free-throw line. They shot 21 free throws in the second half and made 14 of them. The Dawgs clawed their way back and took a three-point lead with over a minute left in the game. The Jaguars’ player Michael Jacobs hit a game-tying shot to knot the score at 69-69 with 52 seconds left in regulation. After both teams missed opportunities to score, the game went to OT.
Huskies struggle in first OT, but find a way to come back
Wesley Yates missed three crucial free throws down the stretch in OT. With 36 seconds remaining in the first OT, Southern’s Joe Manning hit one of two shots, giving them an 81-76 lead. Quimari Peterson then made two critical free throws for the Huskies to bring them within three. The Jaguars’ Cam Amboree then made two free throws, and Southern went up five again with 24 seconds left.
Wesley Yates and Quimari Peterson bring the Huskies back from the brink
Wesley Yates redeemed himself by hitting a big three-point shot to pull Washington within two. Southern’s Cam Amboree then made two more free throws. With 11 seconds left, Quimari Peterson made three free throws after he was fouled on a three-point attempt to bring the Huskies within one. After Jaguars’ player Michael Jacobs was fouled with seven seconds left, he made the first free throw, then missed the second. With 1.9 seconds left, Peterson drove to the basket and hit the game-tying layup to force double OT. After the game, Danny Sprinkle talked about Quimari Peterson’s clutch play in the first OT:
“And, yeah, but that’s just what he (Quimari Peterson) does. You know, and that’s why he’s one of the analytically, one of the highest rated guards in the country last year. You know, the last 10 seconds on the clock”, said Sprinkle.”
Quimari Peterson’s play at the end of the first OT saved the Huskies from a near upset. Making five straight points by hitting three consecutive free throws and the game-tying layup. Peterson scored each of those points with 11 seconds left to keep the Dawgs’ hopes alive and force another overtime.
Washington finally outlasts Southern in double OT
When the second OT began, the Huskies made three straight shots to go up 92-88. Desmond Claude, J.J. Mandaquit, and Jasir Rencher connected on three makes. After the Dawgs took the lead, they never looked back. In the final two minutes, Lathan Sommerville made a big layup with 1:55 remaining to give Washington a 95-90 lead. In the last minute, the Huskies salted the game away with clutch free-throw shooting, beating Southern 99-93.
Images by Anthony May
Key stats and information from Washington’s thrilling win
Desmond Claude played in his first game this year, after missing the first four games due to injury. Claude played more than expected, but the Huskies needed him to win the game:
“Yeah, I mean super impressed. That’s who he (Desmond Claude) is, though. That’s why he’s, you know, that’s why he’s a great player. I thought he got us off to a great start, too. I don’t know if he scored seven straight, you know, right in that first kind of chunk he was in, you know, he hit a three, got a layup. He had some big time, you know post-ups in the second half and even finding guys for shots. And that’s what he does. He’s a big guard”, said Sprinkle.
Claude kept the Huskies in the game early and played more than expected. He finished the game with 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 35 minutes of action. The Huskies started the game with fewer players, with Hannes Steinbach and Bryson Tucker dealing with injuries. Diallo also fouled out midway through the second half. Claude’s big performance was crucial for the Huskies because of the challenges they faced tonight.
Washington uses a complete team effort to earn a hard-fought victory
Along with Claude, the Huskies had four players score in double figures. Wesley Yates led the team with 23 points, Quimari Peterson had 15, and Lathan Sommerville scored 10. Washington out-rebounded Southern 50-43, and Franck Kepnang was the team leader with 12 rebounds. The Dawgs out-rebounded their opponent for the fifth consecutive game. Washington also won at the free-throw line as they made 14 more foul shots than Southern (with a margin of 36-22). The Huskies’ next game will be on Thursday, November 27th, on Thanksgiving against Nevada in Palm Desert.
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