Women’s Basketball Recap

Hello again, Seattle U fans, it’s been a while! I do apologize for not having posted yet in 2012, but the last two months have been extremely busy for the Seattle U athletics communications staff. I haven’t been able to keep the blog up-to-date with the latest Seattle U basketball photos and happenings. In an attempt to atone for all of this, I’ll be covering about two months of women’s basketball games this post, so get ready to relive a great two months of Seattle U women’s basketball!

Since the last women’s basketball post on this blog, the SU women’s team has gone 12-5, including a Washington Dental Service Holiday Hoops Tournament victory and two 4-game winning streaks. They’re currently on a 9-3 run in their last 12 games, and it’s time to start thinking about the postseason. Standing at 15-9 on the year with five games left to play, the Redhawks are looking at the definite possibility of a postseason berth, the first one for any Seattle University team since reclassifying back to Division I. Although they cannot go to the NCAA Tournament (since reclassifying schools are not eligible to win NCAA championships), the Redhawks are eligible for the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) or the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). Because of all the excitement around the team right now, it’s the perfect opportunity to get caught up with the last two months of basketball and get ready for the final five games, including a tough matchup with 2^nd ranked Stanford at Palo Alto, Calif.

 

On with the photos!

 

We’ll start with shots from the Holiday Hoops Tournament Dec. 29th and 30th. The Redhawks hosted the tournament at KeyArena at KeyArena this year due to the men hosting the Elgin Baylor Classic on the same days. Even though the women had played at KeyArena earlier in the year, they enjoyed the experience of playing at an NBA-ready court, along with all the benefits that came with it. One of those benefits was the video screen on the scoreboard. During player introductions, highlights of the team’s play looped on those video screens, drawing the attention of not only the crowd, but the players themselves…

Sylvia Shephard, Elle Kerfoot, and Kacie Sowell (left to right) watch highlights on KeyArena’s scoreboard while waiting to be introduced to the crowd.

 

In the first game of the holiday tournament, the Redhawks took on the Red Flash of Saint Francis University. It was a close game, with the Redhawks relying on a layup and three made free throws in the final minute to clinch the victory. They won, however, and I got some nice-looking photos from that game…

Guard Sylvia Shephard battles with Saint Francis guard Nickia Gibbs for a rebound. Shephard scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the victory over the Red Flash.

 

Guard Daidra Brown goes up for a layup despite defensive pressure from Saint Francis center Rebecca Keegan.

 

Forward Kacie Sowell hauls in a pass under the basket in the second half against the Red Flash. Sowell earned a double-double against Saint Francis, scoring 17 points and bringing down 16 rebounds.

 

Head coach Joan Bonvicini (right) discusses tactics with the rest of the coaching staff during a timeout against Saint Francis.

Sowell (center) celebrates the win over Saint Francis with Elle Kerfoot (left) and Talisa Rhea (right).

 

With the win over the Red Flash, the Redhawks advanced to the tournament championship game. In the other first-day game of the Holiday Hoops Tournament, Eastern Michigan took down Saint Louis, earning the right to face the Redhawks for the tournament title.

In the championship game, the Redhawks got off to a slow start, allowing the Eagles to score the first 10 points of the game. SU fought back, however, and took a four point lead into the locker room at halftime. The second half went back and forth with both teams trading buckets throughout the half. Like the game before, Seattle U found themselves down with less than a minute to go, but took the lead thanks to three free throws by Ashley Ward after she was fouled during a three-point attempt with 36 seconds left. It was a terrific game, one of the most exciting games all year. Here are some photos in case you missed it…

Guard Talisa Rhea attempts a long jumper in the first half against Eastern Michigan. Rhea scored 16 points against the Eagles.

 

Here’s one of my favorite shot from the post; I really like the way Amani is framed by Paige Redditt’s arms.

Guard Amani Butler reaches for a rebound that falls into the hands of Eastern Michagan forward Paige Redditt. Butler had five points on the day.

 

Brown battles for a loose ball with two Eastern Michigan defenders during the first half.

 

Forward Renee Dillard-Brown tries to swat a ball out of Eastern Michigan guard Taylor Bird’s hands (right).

 

Dillard-Brown gets tangled up with Eastern Michigan’s Natachia Watkins while on her way to the basket.

 

Sowell goes up for a layup over Eastern Mcihigan’s Redditt in the second half. Sowell tallied another double-double, this time with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She also blocked two shots and earned two steals on the night.

 

The win over Eastern Michigan gave the Redhawks the Holiday Hoops Tournament title, the Redhawks’ first tournament championship since reclassifying to Division I. The team was very excited for the win…

Members of the Seattle University women’s basketball team celebrate their first tournament championship since becoming a Division I program again.

 

For her efforts (and two double-doubles) over the two days, Kacie Sowell was named tournament MVP.

Sowell accepts her MVP award from Seattle University Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs, Roxanne Levenson.

 

And of course when you win a trophy, you must take a team photo with it (Kerfoot and Butler are holding the prize).

 

The Seattle University women’s basketball team poses with the Washington Dental Classic Holiday Hoops Tournament championship trophy.

 

After the tournament, the women won the next two games, at Idaho and a home game versus Colorado State, but fell in Fresno State due to the three-point shooting of Rosie Moult, who went 9-12 from beyond the arc. The next home game I took photos at was the contest with Chicago State on Jan. 14.

Against Chicago State, the Redhawks played well; very well in fact. They may have scored 80 points on the night, but the SU defense still was the most effective unit on the floor, limiting the Bobcats to just 38 points and a 25.9% field goal percentage while forcing 23 turnovers. The offense certainly played well, however, as Kerfoot put up 18 points on the day while three others, Rhea, Sowell, and Shephard, each scored in double-digits. Speaking of Sylvia, here’s her now, earning two of those 10 points.

Shephard goes up for a layup in the first half of the Chicago State game Jan. 14. She ended the game with 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

 

Daidra Brown passes the ball to an open teammate during the first half of the Chicago State game. Brown had four points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two games throughout the contest.

 

As said earlier, Elle Kerfoot scored 18 points on the game, and all of them came from three-point field goals. Three of those three pointers came in the first half, which put her tied with Ashley Payne for career three-point shots made for Seattle U. After halftime, she didn’t even need a minute before making her fourth on the night, giving her the number one spot in career three-pointers.

Elle Kerfoot lines up her 169th career three-pointer, making her number one all-time in school history in three-point shots made.

 

Sowell blocks a shot by Chicago State guard Caneka Davis. Sowell put up another double-double against the Bobcats, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 boards. She also added one assist, one block, and one steal.

Maggie McCarthy looks past Chicago State’s Caneka Davis for an open teammate. McCarthy played 12 minutes on the night, scoring two points while adding two assists and one steal.

 

After the 80-38 romp over Chicago State, the Redhawks went south to California for two games. They lost an overtime nail-biter 79-81 at Pacific, then turned around to blow out UC Irvine 86-58. Ashley Ward scored 20 points against the Anteaters in a homecoming game for her as she came to Seattle U from Irvine, Calif.

 

The next home game looked to be a tough one for the Redhawks, and it proved as much on the court. On Jan. 25, Seattle U hosted Brigham Young University, then the 23rd-ranked team in the nation. The Cougars took the lead five minutes into the first half and never relinquished it. Seattle U didn’t quit on the game, however, as they fought back from a deficit as big as 22 with six minutes left in the game, but narrowed the score to 55-69 at the final buzzer.

Ward looks past BYU guard Kim Parker towards the basket early in the first half. Ward led the team with 18 points against the Cougars, and added two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

 

Daidra Brown (middle left) and Maggie McCarthy (middle right, facing camera) reach for a rebound, along with two Cougar defenders, during the first half of the BYU game Jan. 25.

Unfortunately those are my only two photos from that game as there were technical difficulties with my memory card for the second half and I lost those photos in the process. I’m sure there was great stuff on there, too.

 

Oh well, we cannot let those losses (of photos or basketball games) get us down! The Redhawks have bounced back from the loss to BYU by winning the next three games, a seven-point nail-biter at UW Milwaukee, a convincing 11-point road win against Portland State, and a 31-point blowout win over Utah Valley at home Feb. 18. Unfortunately I was not able to photograph the game action against Utah Valley, but I did get some photos of the pre-game ceremonies that day.

 

The Feb. 18 game was designated as SU’s annual Pink Game in which players wear pink warm-ups, headbands, shoe-laces, etc. to raise awareness for breast cancer. In addition, the school partnered with the Susan G. Komen foundation to help raise money for breast cancer research. Two breast cancer survivors were honored at mid-court before the game, and the team’s seniors earned the right to escort these two brave women onto the court.

The seniors of the Seattle U women’s basketball team escort two breast cancer survivors to center court prior to the Feb. 18 game against Utah Valley. The Utah Valley game was designated as Seattle U’s Pink Game in an effort to raise funds for breast cancer research.

 

Honoring breast cancer survivors wasn’t the only pre-game ceremony before the Utah Valley game, however. Against Portland State, Kerfoot broke another milestone, becoming the 1th player in program history to score 1,000 points and was honored before the home crowd for that achievement.

Athletic Director Bill Hogan (left) and head coach Joan Bonvicini (right) honor Elle Kerfoot (middle) for eclipsing the 1,000 career points mark.

 

As noted before, Seattle U went on to beat Utah Valley 70-39 in another great defensive effort. The Redhawks caused 26 turnovers and limited the Wolverines to making just 27.1 percent of their shots, and only 20.7 percent in the first half. Daidra Brown earned six steals on the day, and Sylvia Shephard grabbed four balls away from Utah Valley players.

Talisa Rhea led the team in scoring with 19 points, taking the team scoring lead for the time-being with 336 points on the year. Sowell is hot on her tail, however, with 333 points scored. The two have been trading the scoring lead back and forth throughout the season.

 

Including Wednesday night’s game at Chicago State, there are five games left in the regular season. Who will take the team scoring title, Rhea or Sowell? Can the Redhawks hang with the Cardinal in a tough road game against Stanford? Will the Redhawks make the postseason, becoming the first SU team to do so since reclassifying? Stay tuned for these answers and more by coming to one of the two remaining home games (Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. or Saturday, March 3 at 4:00 p.m.) or checking out GoSeattleU.com!

 

Have any questions or comments for me? Like the photos? Hate the photos? Want to wish the team luck on its’ march to the playoffs? Say so in the comments section below!

Redhawks Take #24 Cavaliers to Brink, Come up Short

Hey there Redhawks fans and welcome back to the Seattle U BasketBlog.  I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas and enjoy yourselves in these last two days of 2011.  As we look back at the 2011 calendar year, perhaps the best game the Redhawks’ men played all year came near the end as they took on then-#24 Virginia at home on Dec. 21.  Despite extending their losing streak to six games, the Redhawks played the newly-ranked Cavaliers tough, taking the lead into halftime and eliminating a 14 point deficit in just seven minutes in the second half.  They were unable to complete the comeback, however, and ultimately lost 77-83.  Let’s check out some photos from that game, shall we?

 

Guard Sterling Carter (middle) is introduced onto the court by forward Chad Rasmussen prior to the game.

 

The Redhawks got off to a rousing start, taking a 9-3 lead in the first three minutes.  After a dead ball, Cervante Burrell and T.J. Diop entered the game as the first subs for Seattle U.  Burrell saw extensive action against Virginia, playing 26 minutes last Wednesday night.  Here’s a photo of him dribbling against Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon shortly after entering the game in the first half.

 

Although I will discuss forward Aaron Broussard’s night in greater depth later, I will show you a photo of him scoring two of his many points on the night now as a bit of a teaser.  Here, Broussard hits a layup despite pressure underneath the basket.

 

Eric Wallace started off the game strong, scoring four of the first six points for SU.  Here he is taking a short-range jumper in the first half.

 

Forward Chad Rasmussen launches a three point shot.  He ended the night with three points, two rebounds, one assist, and one block to his credit.

 

Guard Sterling Carter dribbles against Virginia guard Jontel Evans in the first half.

 

Forward Clarence Trent goes up for a layup while Virginia forward Mike Scott plays tight defense.

 

And for the last photo from the half, let’s see what else Cervante Burrell was up to that night.

Burrell goes up for a layup against Virginia’s Joe Harris.

 

Burrell also sank two free throw shots at the end of the half to give the Redhawks a 38-36 lead going into the break.  While the teams were in the locker room making adjustments for the second half, SU legend Eddie Miles was honored out on the court.  Miles, perhaps better known as “The Man with the Golden Arm,” spent three years at Seattle U, finishing with 1,874 points (23.1 points per game) and is currently third on the school’s all-time scoring list.  He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the fourth pick of the 1963 NBA draft and spent nine years playing in the league.  After his playing days, he spent time as a coach—even two years as an assistant coach for the school from 1978-1980—and always was an avid supporter of the program he helped lead to three NCAA tournament appearances.  While being honored at halftime, his family joined him on the court and a video describing his years in a Chieftains’ uniform.

Eddie Miles’ family watches a video describing his career at Seattle University.

 

After the video, Eddie said a few words about his time at the school.

SU legend Eddie Miles speaks to the KeyArena crowd during halftime of the Seattle U-Virginia game.

 

Miles received a great applause at the end of the ceremony.

 

When the game restarted, the Redhawks and the Cavaliers traded baskets for a few minutes but four minutes into the half, Virginia started a run that would give them a 14 point lead with nine minutes to play.  When Virginia’s run was just beginning, I snapped this photo of head coach Cameron Dollar with assistant coach Donald Dollar in the background.

Coach Cameron Dollar paces the sideline in the second half.

 

As said before, Seattle U erased Virginia’s lead, and the first points of that comeback were provided by none other than Aaron Broussard.  Broussard had probably his best night as a Redhawk, scoring a (then) career-high 29 points and nine of the Redhawks’ points during a 19-4 run that gave Seattle U a one-point lead with three and a half minutes left in the game.

Aaron Broussard scores the first two points of a 19-4 SU run that would give the Redhawks the lead with just 3:30 left on the clock.

 

Sterling Carter also played a key role in the comeback as he scored eight points during the 19-4 run.  Here he’s hitting a two-point jumper over Virginia center Assane Sene.

 

Coach Cameron Dollar (middle-right) draws up a play during a timeout on the floor.

 

Burrell sends a pass right over Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski in the second half.

 

Clarence Trent takes a layup over Virginia’s Brogdon.  Trent ended the night with 12 points, three rebounds, and one steal.

 

Eric Wallace goes up—way up—for a rebound late in the second half.  Wallace tallied four points, four rebounds, and one steal on the night.

 

While closing down the scoring deficit, Coach Dollar decided to institute a full-court press in order to force a few turnovers.  Here, guards Allen Tate (left) and Sterling Carter (right) try and prevent Virginia guard Jontel Evans from inbounding the ball.

 

Carter gets fouled during a layup attempt late in the game.

 

Carter (middle) is congratulated by Tate (left) and Broussard (right) on drawing the foul and getting a chance at a traditional three-point play.

 

Not to make this the Sterling Carter show or anything, but here’s another shot of him going up for a layup late in the game.

Carter goes up for a layup late in the game.  He scored 17 points—with a few crucial three-pointers—and also added six rebounds, one assist, and one steal against the Cavaliers.

 

During one of the last timeouts of the game, the SU cheer and dance team took the court with tee-shirts to give to the loudest fans.  These particular fans try to get the attention of a cheerleader, and the one on the right seems to be practicing the box-out by jumping in front of his buddy.  He may want to be careful however, as any more contact will probably draw a foul…

 

Back on the court, after the Redhawks took 68-67 lead, Virginia fought back and took a five-point lead of their own, and Seattle U just couldn’t muster the baskets necessary to overtake the Cavaliers again.  The game ended with a score of 83-77 Virginia.  Despite the loss, the Redhawks showed the ability to play with a very good team—Virginia was 9-1 coming into the game and had just beat Oregon in Eugene, Ore. three days earlier —and hopefully the team would be able to carry the momentum created that Wednesday night into the Elgin Baylor Classic Dec. 29-30 at home in KeyArena.

 

That’s it for this post, Redhawks fans!  Thanks for reading, and as always your questions or comments are welcome in the comments section below.

 

For the next post, we’ll be looking at one of the holiday tournaments Seattle U will be hosting Dec. 29-30.  See you then!

Redhawk Women Take Down 49ers in Romp

Hello again, Redhawks fans!  For this week’s edition of the Seattle U Basketblog, we’ll check back in with the women’s basketball team, which is currently riding a four-game winning streak and is over .500 for the first time since the 2008-09 season.  Let’s go back to the first game of that streak, a 78-49 thumping of Long Beach State and take a look at how the Redhawks won…

 

The Redhawks cruised to a 78-49 win over the 49ers largely due to their shooting.  With a 55.8% field goal percentage, the Redhawks had their best night shooting of the season on Dec. 2.  Eight players shot .500 or better from the field, and Ashley Ward made three of her four attempts from beyond the arc.  Speaking of Ashley Ward, she appears in our first photo of the night…

Forward Ashley Ward sails up to the glass for a layup.

 

As you can tell from the above photo, I had a unique view of the game that night as I was sitting on a ledge underneath the scoreboard.  Despite the slight worry of slipping off that small ledge, that position is a good one for basketball—it provides an open view of the court while and it’s not an angle that you commonly see, at least not at the Connolly Center.  Here’s some more shots taken from just below the scoreboard.

Guard Elle Kerfoot looks to pass the ball into the key during the first half.

 

Forward Brenda Adhiambo holds possession of the ball at the top of the arc.

 

Ward drives along the baseline towards the basket.  She would go on to score 12 points on the night while grabbing three rebounds, one steal, and dishing out two assists.

 

Kerfoot is fouled by Long Beach State forward Ella Clark while attempting a layup. Kerfoot score six points on the night while also tallying three assists and one rebound.

 

Adhiambo is fouled beneath the bucket by Long Beach State forward Tipesa Moorer.   Adhiambo went on to score five points throughout the game—including three from the free throw line—while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out two assists.

 

Guard Daidra Brown goes up for a layup after swiping the ball from a Long Beach State player in the first half.

 

Ward (middle-left) and guard Sylvia Shephard (middle right) both compete for a rebound with Long Beach State forward Mary Ochiltree.

 

Brown and fellow guard Amani Butler have both shown to play tight defense on opponents and have frequently forced turnovers and stolen balls away from unsuspecting offensive players.  When they team up to double-team someone, well, then that’s just unfair…

Guards Amani Butler (left) and Daidra Brown (right) double-team Long Beach State guard Lauren Spargo.

 

That situation can and most likely will lead to turnovers, like this one here, and eventually to an easy two-point layup, as it did in this case.

Bulter (left) collects a loose ball coughed up by Long Beach State’s Spargo (middle).

 

Brown doesn’t need to pair up with Butler to get steals, though.  She can do just fine on her own, as Long Beach State guard Hallie Meneses finds out in this photo below.

Brown steals the ball away from Long Beach State’s Hallie Meneses late in the first half.  Brown grabbed five balls away from Long Beach State players throughout the night and added six points, five rebounds, and four assists to the winning effort.

 

It was a typical day in the office for forward Kacie Sowell, who posted another double-double by scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 boards on the night.  Through 10 games (as this post is being written after the Santa Clara game on Dec. 13), Sowell is averaging 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and has scored in double-digits every game.  Here’s a photo of her at work underneath the basket…

Forward Kacie Sowell goes up for a layup despite being defended by Long Beach State guard Bianka Balthazar.

 

And for our last photo from the first half, here’s Talisa Rhea going up for a layup…

Guard Talisa Rhea goes up for a layup over Long Beach State’s Ella Clark.  Rhea scored 14 points on the night while adding three rebounds, one steal, and seven assists to the Redhawks’ winning cause.

 

Rhea’s bucket helped the Redhawks take a 14 point lead into the locker room at halftime.  After perilously climbing down from the ledge I was perched on (special thanks to the Game Operations staff for bringing me a ladder and not stranding me up there), there was still time to shoot the halftime entertainment: musical chairs!

A musical chairs player reacts to barely missing out on the final unoccupied char and being eliminated from the competition.

 

Games against the 49ers are particularly meaningful for head coach Joan Bonvicini.  Bonvicini made her head coaching debut at Long Beach State, spending 12 years there and taking the program to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1987 and 1988. Last year was her first victory over a former team, a 73-54 win at Long Beach State in Februrary, and she easily added earned another this year…

Head coach Joan Bonvicini talks to her team during a timeout in the beginning of the second half.

 

Forwards Brenda Adhiambo (center) and Maggie McCarthy (right) reach for a loose ball below the Long Beach State basket.  McCarthy collected the rebound, one of two for her on the night, and also added five points, one assist, and one steal.

 

Since the Redhawks built on their already-strong lead throughout the second half, Bonvicini put in all of her young players near the end of the game to give them some game experience.   Guard Jasmine Lemon made her fourth appearance of the season against the 49ers, working her way in front of my camera for a couple of photos.

Guard Jasmine Lemon resets the ball at the top of the key, looking for an open player to pass to.

 

And here Lemon starts to go up for a layup, during which she drew a foul and went to the free throw line.  She’d sink one of those freebies for her one point on the night and also added an assist and a steal.

 

Forward Jessi Williamson made just her second appearance of the year and immediately used her size advantage to bring down a rebound.

 

Despite being a freshman, Renee Dillard-Brown has worked her way into the rotation since game one, seeing time in every game but one.  Here, she’s seen going up for a short range jumper…

Forward Renee Dillard-Brown takes a jumper despite having Long Beach State guard Jhakia McDonald’s hands in her face.

 

Last but not least, Makenna Clark also made her second collegiate appearance against Long Beach State.  The walk-on from Auburn, Wash., would later score her first collegiate points by draining a three-pointer that got everyone on the Seattle U bench to stand up and cheer.

Guard Makenna Clark dribbles against an (unseen) Long Beach State defender late in the second half.

 

And, to top it off, Sylvia Shephard netted this easy layup, giving the Redhawks a season high of 78 points in the game(although they topped that their very next game by putting up 89 at Boise State).

Guard Sylvia Shephard finishes a layup, giving her four points to go along with six rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

 

What a game!  As said before, that big win over the 49ers launched a winning streak of four games (so far), all but one of them coming by a margin of 15 points.  The women look to continue their streak this coming Saturday, December 17th as they take on Saint Mary’s.  Tipoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. at Connolly Center North Court.  Come out and see a great game and support your Redhawks!

Redhawk Men fall to Stanford

Greetings again, Redhawk fans!  I know last time I promised you photos from a women’s game for this post, but I haven’t had a chance to update this blog since last week and I thought it’d be nice to get a second post about the men up before we take a look at another women’s game.

Last Thursday, the Redhawk men took on Stanford down at KeyArena, just the fourth meeting between the two teams and the first time Seattle U had hosted.  Last year’s game at Palo Alto, Calif., was a tight one until the final minutes, and there was hope that this year’s contest would be close as well.  The first Redhawk victory over the Cardinal wasn’t to be, however, as Stanford built a double-digit lead in the first half and never looked back.  Enough of that, however; let’s get on with the photos!

Before the game began, the Seattle U ROTC presented the colors and ROTC member Kathryn Dizon sang a lovely rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner.

 

After the national anthem and tipoff, forward Clarence Trent found himself open along the baseline, and open for a pass…

Forward Clarence Trent pulls in a pass early in the first half.  Trent scored three points—a three-pointer in the second half and grabbed four rebounds throughout the game.

 

Forward Aaron Broussard attempts a layup early in the first half.

 

Guard Prince Obasi looks around Stanford forward Josh Huestis for a teammate to pass to early in the first half.

 

Forward Eric Wallace pulls in an offensive rebound early in the first half.  Wallace tallied his first double-double of the year, scoring 12 points and pulling in 15 rebounds in 26 minutes of work.

 

Forward Chad Rasmussen looks around a Stanford defender in the first half.

 

Obasi protects the ball from Stanford guard Aaron Bright.

 

Brossard takes a short-range jumper near the end of the first half.  He ended the game with five points and six rebounds in what was a tough night shooting for all SU players.

 

And that photo closes out our shots from the first half.  The second half would prove to be much better for SU as they were more accurate from beyond the arc and more consistent at the charity stripe.  They kept pace with Stanford offensively with each team scoring 32 in the second half, nearly doubling their first half output.  The second half was more exciting to watch, so let’s see some photos from it!

Head coach Cameron Dollar (left)talks with Obasi during a break in the action.

 

The Seattle University student section, the RedZone, cheers on the Redhawks in the second half.

 

Obasi goes up for a layup.  He ended the night with 11 points—his season high so far—to go along with four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

 

Forward Louis Green goes up for two points.  Green scored four points and added three rebounds off the bench.

 

During one the second media timeout of the half, the promotional game featured a contest to see how many tennis balls a team could collect from a bin at half-court.  The catch?  The team members’ legs were strapped together.  These two creative participants just hopped up and down the court in order to collect their share of tennis balls.

And back to the (basketball) action.  In this photo, guard Cervante Burrell scores two points off a layup.

 

 

Jarell Flora (seen here blocking Stanford guard Chasson Randle’s jumper) also saw action on the night.  He added three points and two rebounds, as well as his block, to the Redhawks’ effort Thursday night.

 

Guard Allen Tate goes up for a layup in the second half.  Tate, in his fifth consecutive start, scored two points and added three rebounds against the Cardinal.

 

In the second half, coach Dollar tested a new substitution system.  Instead of subbing out one or two players at a time, he’d switch out all five players on the court, much like the line changes seen in hockey.  The tactic seemed to work well as the Redhawks went on a 12-5 run while using this substitution method.  In the photo below, you can see all five players heading over to the scorer’s table to check in during a timeout.

 

Burrell drives into the lane late in the game.  He ended the night with two points, two rebounds, and four assists in 12 minutes of action.

 

Freshman forward Obie Hurt made his season debut against the Cardinal.  Hurt isn’t your typical freshman, however; Hurt spent four years in the navy between high school and enrolling at Seattle U. He’s seen here (left), along with guard Sterling Carter (right), playing tight defense on Stanford ‘s Aaron Bright, forcing Bright to burn a timeout.

 

And to end the game, let’s see another shot of coach Dollar in action.

 

That’s it for this edition of the Seattle U Basketblog.  Thanks for reading, Redhawks fans, and as always feel free to leave any questions or comments in the comments section below.  We’ll see you soon, either at KeyArena or the Connolly Center!

Redhawks Nearly Come Back against UC Davis

Hello Redhawks fans, and welcome back to the Seattle U BasketBlog.  Basketball season is fully underway here at Seattle University, so why don’t we check back in with the women’s team?  This time, the Redhawks will face the UC Davis Aggies.

This game was really a tale of two halves.  In the first half, the Redhawks were outscored 31-16 and shot just 30% from the floor.  After halftime, though, they shook off the malaise and made a game of it, working the Aggies’ lead to just two at one point with a 19-2 run over about a six minute span. In the end, though, it just wasn’t quite enough and they fell 66-62.  On with the photos!

Before the game can start, the players must be introduced…

Guard Elle Kerfoot (right) is greeted onto the court by fellow guard Sylvia Shephard during player introductions before the game.

 

Shephard leads the team cheer after introductions on the court.

 

And after the introductions comes the tipoff!

Forward Kacie Sowell (right) and UC Davis guard Blair Shinoda both reach for the tip.  The ball went out of bounds and possession was given to the Aggies.

 

Forward Ashley Ward dribbles against UC Davis forward Samantha Meggison.

 

Sowell attempts a short jumper over Meggison.

 

Guard Talisa Rhea attempts to swat away a layup by Shinoda in the first half.  Talisa scored 16 points on the day—good enough to lead the team—to go along with four rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.

 

Ward fights for possession with Shinoda, resulting in a jump ball.  Ward finished the day with five points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal.

 

Sowell shots a free-throw near the end of the first half.

 

The Seattle University Dance Team performs during a break in the action.

 

And here’s my favorite from this game: a photo of Kacie Sowell.  I don’t normally shoot action away from the ball, but during the last part of the half I noticed I didn’t have many photos of Kacie, who was having a great game so far.  To make sure I had something of her to put on the website, I concentrated on finding a good shot of her, and did so with this gem.

Sowell is tightly defended by UC Davis’ Shinoda.

 

Kerfoot looks to pass while being guarded by two UC Davis defenders near the end of the first half.

 

And that’s it for photos from the first half.  Onto the second half!

Forward Renee Dillard-Brown tries to steal the ball from UC Davis’s Meggison in the second half.   Dillard-Brown came in and provided energy off the bench and tight defense, helping spark the 19-2 second half run.

 

Head coach Joan Bonvicini offers instruction to her team during play.

 

Forward Brenda Adhiambo makes a layup during the second half.

 

Sowell makes a layup over two UC Davis defenders.  Sowell ended the game with a double-double: 15 points and 13 rebounds, while adding a steal for good measure.

 

Guard Daidra Brown steals the ball from UC Davis guard Hana Asano.  Brown also notched two points and one rebound to go along with her steal.

 

Adhiambo kicks the ball outside through tough defense provided by UC Davis guard Hannah Stephens.

 

The Seattle University women’s coaching staff (from left to right: assistant coach Joy  Hollingsworth, assistant coach Dorena Bingham, assistant coach Kristen O’Neil, and head coach Joan Bonvicini) discuss tactics during a timeout in the second half.

 

Assistant coach Joy Hollingsworth (right) talks with Brown (left) and guard Amani Butler (middle) after a timeout.

 

Adhiambo pulls down a defensive rebound despite pressure from UC Davis forward Briana Salvatore.  Adhiambo ended the day needing just two rebounds for a double-double, finishing with 10 points, eight boards, and two steals.

 

Shephard out-jumps UC Davis guard Courtney French in an effort to block the shot late in the game.  Shephard got the block and also added three points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal to the Redhawks’ cause.

 

The Redhawks gather on the court to discuss tactics during a timeout late in the game.

That’s it for photos this time.  A quick note:  the next post will probably include more women’s photos.  Right now it looks like I’ll be able to shoot the men’s game versus Stanford at KeyArena this Thursday at 7:10.  You can expect those photos to be up next week sometime, but until then, we’ll see more of the women!