Seattle U. extends streak with 81-56 win over UC Davis

Habit-forming? Seattle University men's basketball coach Cameron Dollar could get used to performances like this.

Three days after drubbing Sacramento State by 31 points while shooting a season-high 61 percent from the field, Tuesday night rode a second-half outburst to roll over UC Davis 81-56 in front of 3,318 at Key Arena.

The win is Seattle's fourth straight, matching its longest winning streak of the season, and bringing the Redhawks to .500 (13-13) for the first time since mid-December.

Junior forward Alex Jones recorded a career high in points (24) for the second straight game (he scored 19 on Saturday against Sacramento State), and for the second straight game, leading scorer Charles Garcia came off the bench and made the most of his time on the floor, scoring 17 points in 18 minutes and collecting a game-high 10 rebounds.

Seattle shot 53.2 percent from the field and broke open a two-point game with a 15-2 run early in the second half. Cervante Burrell (14 points) and Federal Way grad Aaron Broussard (11) also finished in double figures as the Redhawks shot better than 50 percent in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

"What I like is that we're guarding," Dollar said when asked about Seattle's offensive output. "I like our defensive mindset. I think we're really helping each other out, rotating, being willing to take charges."

One noteworthy number that supports Dollar's defense-first thinking: UC Davis (10-15) shot just 31.5 percent from the field (17 of 54), three days after Sac State managed to hit just 34.4 percent of its shots against the Redhawks.

"I like that we are in pursuit of the ball, whether it be on offense or defense," he said.

The 6-foot-8 Jones, a transfer from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College, Jones also pulled down nine rebounds, another career best, and sank one of his three three-point attempts.

The Redhawks led just 36-34 two minutes into the second half but blew the game open with a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to take command with a 51-36 lead.

Following a string of five straight points by Broussard during another Seattle run, Garcia supplied a string of highlight-reel plays — a fast-break jam on a lob feed from Burrell in the second half, a LeBronesque chase-down block from behind on a UC Davis breakaway, then a deep three-pointer from the right wing.

UC DAVIS (10-15)
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Floyd	14	1-4	0-3	0-0	0	4	2
Calegari	30	4-10	9-10	1-1	0	3	19
Lowenthal	36	1-5	4-7	4-13	0	1	6
Harden	31	5-15	5-6	4-6	1	2	15
Sypkens	19	0-4	0-0	0-3	3	1	0
Malik	11	0-3	1-2	0-1	0	2	1
Welch	21	3-7	0-0	0-1	1	3	6
Howley	24	1-3	0-0	1-7	1	3	2
Ranger	14	2-3	1-2	0-2	0	2	5
	200	17-54	20-30	11-38	6	21	56

Percentages: FG .315, FT .667. Three-point goals: 2-14, (Floyd 0-1, Calegari 2-4, Lowenthal 0-1, Sypkens 0-3, Malik 0-3, Welch 0-1, Howley 0-1). Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 3, (Calegari, Howley 2). Turnovers: 23, (Floyd 2, Calegari 3, Harden 4, Sypkens 3, Malik, Welch 6, Howley, Ranger 2). Steals: 9, (Calegari 3, Lowenthal 3, Harden 2, Malik).

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY (13-13)
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Broussard	21	5-10	0-1	1-3	0	3	11
Gilmore	17	3-5	0-1	1-3	1	5	6
Lever	23	0-1	0-0	0-1	2	1	0
Burrell	28	7-9	0-2	0-3	2	1	14
Gweth	26	0-4	2-4	0-5	1	3	2
Boxley	25	1-3	0-0	0-1	3	4	2
Olson	11	1-1	2-2	0-1	2	0	4
Harris	12	0-2	1-2	2-4	0	4	1
Garcia	18	7-10	2-4	0-10	1	2	17
Jones	19	9-17	5-9	3-9	0	3	24
	200	33-62	12-25	9-43	12	26	81

Percentages: FG .532, FT .480. Three-point goals: 3-13, (Broussard 1-4, Lever 0-1, Gweth 0-1, Boxley 0-2, Garcia 1-2, Jones 1-3). Team rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: 1, (Garcia). Turnovers: 16, (Broussard 2, Gilmore, Lever 2, Burrell 2, Gweth 2, Boxley 2, Harris, Garcia 3, Jones). Steals: 13, (Broussard 3, Gilmore, Lever, Burrell 2, Gweth, Boxley 3, Olson, Harris).

UC Davis	30	26	—	56
Seattle University	34	47	—	81

Attendance: 3,318. Officials: Kevin Brill, Jimmy Casas, Tom Spitznagel.Technical fouls: UC Davis-None. Seattle University-None.