LAS VEGAS – Seattle U, which returned to the West Coast Conference this season after an almost half-century absence, took the following step Friday night time with a 58-56 second-spherical victory over San Diego within the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship.
The Redhawks prevailed in what USD head coach Steve Lavin known as “a knock-down, drag-out slugfest,” to earn their twentieth victory of the season and advance to Saturday’s third spherical in opposition to No. 6 seed Pacific. Tipoff is at about 8:30 p.m. at Orleans Arena.
“It wasn’t our prettiest win of the year,” mentioned head coach Chris Victor, who earned his a hundredth win in 5 seasons at Seattle U. “But whenever you get up to now within the season, it doesn’t actually matter. All that issues is for those who can rating extra factors than the opponent and discover a approach to advance.
“This team’s really fun to coach. They really enjoy competing together. So, with a team like this you just want to play as long as possible.”
Sophomore Will Heimbrodt, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, mentioned the No. 7 seed Redhawks (20-12) are tremendous-charged for the chance to face Pacific (17-14), which beat them 56-54 earlier this season.
“I think this is one of those wins where early in the season we’d want to get together and watch film and talk a lot about it. Now it’s on to the next,” mentioned Heimbrodt, who led Seattle U with 16 factors and 9 rebounds. “We played Pacific close last time. They’re a really good team, but definitely a team we can beat.”
Seattle U prevailed on an evening when their finest offensive participant, senior guard Brayden Maldonado shot 1-for-9 and scored simply two factors, and the Redhawks transformed solely 3 of 21 from the three-level arc. But 9 completely different gamers scored and Maldonado made one of many recreation’s largest performs when he dove to the ground to corral a free ball and known as timeout with 38 seconds whereas his workforce nursed a two-level lead.
Heimbrodt missed a shot in visitors on the Redhawks’ subsequent possession however the Toreros (12-21) misfired twice within the ultimate 5 seconds earlier than time expired.
MURPHY STEPS UP: A switch from Division II Chico State in Northern California, senior guard Jojo Murphy scored 12 factors — double his season common — together with a pair of three-pointers within the second half.
“The opportunity is super-exciting,” he mentioned of shifting on within the event. “It was fun. I feel we made a good adjustment coming out of half time. We were tentative in the first and we wanted to up our physicality.”
Victor mentioned it took Murphy a while to regulate to a brand new workforce, new coaches and a brand new stage as a Division I participant. Murphy has averaged 10.0 factors whereas beginning the previous 5 video games. “Beginning of the season he was trying to find his way,” Victor mentioned. “At some point it clicked for him.”
END OF LAVIN ERA: Lavin was knowledgeable a pair weeks in the past that he won’t return for a fifth season as head coach of the Toreros. After his ultimate recreation, he expressed solely gratitude for the expertise.
“It was an honor to coach this group. Fourteen new players from four continents. We had nine months together and it really was a joy to work with this group,” mentioned Lavin, who winds up with a report of 47-83 at USD. He beforehand coached at UCLA and St. John’s and has profession ledger of 284-233.
“I’ve had a number of different stops, but this was . . . the most enjoyable four years I’ve had in my career. It’s because of the young people I was able to work with and the prestige of this university.”
Lavin, 61, says he “definitely” wish to coach once more. “Partly because I enjoy this experience in a way that rejuvenated me. I feel fresh as a daisy. I’ve got some gas in the tank.”
A HERCULEAN BLOCKED SHOT: Portland was making an attempt to stretch its lead in opposition to Washington State with six minutes left of their second spherical recreation when Cougars freshman Ace Glass III went up for what briefly gave the impression to be an open 3-pointer from the highest of the important thing. If it went in, WSU would have reduce the hole to 58-56.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Portland freshman Dante Censori-Hercules soared into the image and blocked the shot. Garrett Nuckolls retrieved the free ball and fired a move to Censori-Hercules who transformed the breakaway layup for a 60-53 lead.
“He just makes winning plays,” mentioned Portland head coach Shantay Legans.
The victory got here six minutes later, a 74-68 triumph that lifts Portland (15-18) into Saturday’s third-spherical recreation in opposition to San Francisco (16-15) at 6 p.m. at Orleans Arena. The Pilots have gained two video games on the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Championship for the primary time since 1996, once they prevailed 3 times to seize the title.
Censori-Hercules declined to make an excessive amount of of his massive play. “We knew Glass is a shooter. We can’t let him get open looks,” he mentioned. (*6*)
Glass was stunned to see a defender arrive in time to dam his shot. “Nah, I didn’t see him coming,” he admitted. “If I saw him coming, I would have pump faked.”
Censori-Hercules was focused to be redshirted as a freshman this season, however the lack of two gamers penciled into the backcourt rotation opened up a possibility. “Basketball happens so he was pushed into having to play,” Legans mentioned. “Even in the summer, whatever team he was on won. He’d do all the little things. He’s a confident young man. He’s been our best defender all year long.”
He was once more Friday night time when it mattered most.
NUCKOLLS DELIVERS HIS BEST GAME: Nuckolls, a junior switch from junior faculty, scored a season-excessive 23 factors to go together with six rebounds and three assists, sparking the Pilots’ victory. He had the modest whole of six factors at halftime and Legans thought he wanted a carry.
“I saw him at the end of the half and he looked frustrated he wasn’t getting some touches,” Legans mentioned. “We came out of halftime and ran a couple plays to get him going and I think he felt confident the rest of the way.”
“It feels amazing,” mentioned Nuckolls of his 17-level second half, including that the sport felt like so many others. “Just play hard, execute the game plan. Just play my game and shots were falling today.”
GLASS SETS WSU FROSH RECORD: The Portland-USD recreation featured two of the league’s finest freshmen guards — level guard Joel Foxwell of the Pilots and WSU’s Glass. Foxwell had a tough taking pictures night time, however completed with 17 factors, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and the victory.
Glass would a lot quite have taken a win, however he had 19 factors and 5 assists and broke the Cougars’ freshman season scoring report. He stands at 522 factors. Earlier this season, he set a WSU freshman single-season mark with 40 factors in opposition to Arizona State.
Head coach David Riley mentioned Glass exceeded something he may have anticipated this season.
“Ace had an incredible year for us. What makes it so impressive is not his talent — we knew he was talented walking in the door,” Riley mentioned. “But the best way he handles adversity and handles challenges.
(*1*)
Glass mentioned having his coach’s confidence meant rather a lot. “I just had a really blessed freshman season. I came in and earned my spot, DR believed in me for the whole season,” Glass mentioned. “I’m glad I’m here. I feel like I learned a lot.”
