Redhawks can't get defensive stops when needed late in 77-68 loss to Utah Valley.
The problem for the Seattle University men’s basketball team during the Western Athletic Conference season has been its issues shooting and scoring.
A nearly seven-minute scoreless stretch Tuesday night hurt, but it was the inability to get second-half stops that doomed the Redhawks in a 77-68 loss to Utah Valley at the Redhawk Center that snapped Seattle U’s two-game winning streak.
Several times in the second half, Utah Valley used most of the shot clock before going to Jake Toolson, who came through time and again and scored 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
“Bottom line is they were better than us tonight,” said Seattle U coach Jim Hayford. “When we started scoring in the second half, we couldn’t get defensive stops.”
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The scoring problems started Jan. 12 in an 88-78 loss at Utah Valley in which the Redhawks had just 28 points after leading 50-28 at halftime. With a rash of injuries compounding the troubles, Seattle U (15-13, 3-10 WAC) did not score 70 points in a game again until a 77-57 win at home Saturday over last place Chicago State.
Seattle U took an early 8-2 lead a minute and 13 seconds into the contest, which was a makeup after the game was postponed earlier this month because of snow. But the Redhawks did not score again for almost seven minutes, allowing Utah Valley to take a 9-8 lead. The rest of the first half was a back-and-forth affair with the Wolverines forging a 32-27 lead at halftime.
Seattle U, which shot 38.5 percent from the field (25 of 65) never got closer than four points in the second half. With Utah Valley leading 66-60 with 3:20 left, it went on a 7-0 run to ice the win.
Myles Carter had 12 first-half points for Seattle U but also three fouls that sent him to the bench for the final minutes of the opening half. Starting guard Terrell Brown also spent time on the bench with foul issues.
Utah Valley, coached by Mark Pope, the former Newport High School of Bellevue star who played for UW, improved to 20-8 overall and 9-4 in the WAC.
Delante Jones scored 16 to lead Seattle U. Carter’s foul trouble continued in the second half and he did not score in the final 20 minutes.