By Andrew Bailie Posted on

Washington men stunned by Seattle U 70-66 in inter-city clash

The Washington Men’s Basketball team battled Seattle University in the battle for Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night. The Huskies (7-3, 1-1 in conference) were looking for their third consecutive win after defeating USC and Southern Utah. Following wins over Puget Sound, UTEP, Warner Pacific, and UC Davis, the (9-2) Redhawks were looking to increase their win streak to five straight games. After losing 79-70 to Seattle U in 2024, Washington was looking to avenge the loss, which snapped a 19-game winning streak in the series. Poor three-point shooting and familiar defensive weakness doomed the Huskies to another shocking defeat to the Redhawks

Washington and Seattle U struggle to find offense early

After putting up 53 points in the first half against Southern Utah, the Huskies were ice-cold against the Redhawks through the first 20 minutes of play. Washington went 0/7 from three-point range to start the game. Fighting through an offensive grind, the Huskies battled and drove inside to score 24 points in the paint. Zoom Diallo and Desmond Claude led the Dawgs with eight points apiece.

Credit Anthony May for images

Washington’s defense holds firm in the first half

During the week, Husky head coach Danny Sprinkle emphasized defensive fundamentals and the need for his team to play better defense. The Huskies’ defense looked much improved early, holding the Redhawks to 30% shooting in the first half. Washington did a fantastic job of defending the three-point line. Seattle U came into Friday’s game shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc (21st in the nation). The Dawgs held the Redhawks to 3/18 from deep (17%) in the first 20 minutes of action, a remarkable feat. Behind a strong defensive performance, the Huskies took a slim 29-26 lead into the half.

The Huskies and Redhawks brawl for bragging rights in the second half

Washington ran up a nine-point lead behind more scoring from Desmond Claude and Zoom Diallo in the first five minutes of the second half. Seattle U responded with a 9-2 run to cut the Huskies’ advantage to 42-40. The game remained tight throughout the rest of the contest, as both teams battled inside. Seattle U guard Brayden Maldonado and center Austin Mauer stormed the paint, combining for 21 second-half points. The Redhawks outscored the Huskies inside the key 24-18 in the game’s final minutes to eke out a 70-66 win. Washington had struggled defending the paint in its previous game, and that carried over in a frustrating loss to Seattle U.

Washington’s poor offensive performance does not help the cause

The Huskies were just 1/15 from three-point range, shooting just 6.7% from deep for the game. Washington finished with just 12 assists on 24 made field goals and had 16 turnovers, which proved costly. Three players did most of the scoring as Desmond Claude, Zoom Diallo, and Hannes Steinbach combined for 56 of the Huskies’ 66 points. Washington was unable to find an offensive rhythm, as just six players scored in Friday’s loss to Seattle U. The Huskies’ next game is on Monday against UC San Diego at Alaska Airlines Arena.

Husk

Discover more from Cascadiasports.net

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply