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SEATTLE U, GRAND CANYON ADVANCE IN POSTSEASON PLAY
Half of the WAC's men's basketball teams participated in postseason play this year, with Seattle U and Grand Canyon both still alive after advancing in the College Basketball Invitational and CollegeInsider.com Tournament, respectively. Seattle U hosts Vermont on Monday in the quarterfinals of the CBI, while Grand Canyon travels to Coastal Carolina for the CIT quarterfinals on Wednesday.
GRAND CANYON DEFEATS SC STATE, JACKSON STATE, ADVANCES TO CIT QUARTERS
Last Monday, Grand Canyon defeated South Carolina State 78-74 in the McClendon Classic, the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Lopes trailed for just 51 seconds during the game and led by as many as 14, though the Bulldogs made it a one-point game with four seconds remaining. Grandy Glaze posted his 13th double-double of the season with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 11 rebounds and was named McClendon Classic MVP. Joining Glaze in double-digit scoring were Joshua Braun (16), Matt Jackson (12), De'Andre Davis (11) and DeWayne Russell (10).
On Thursday, Grand Canyon defeated Jackson State 64-54 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Lopes trailed by six at halftime, shooting just 33 percent from the field on the half. In the second half, GCU shot 52 percent from the floor and outscored Jackson State 43-27 for the win. The Lopes won the rebounding battle 34-27 and shot 91 percent (19-of-21) at the charity stripe. Braun led all players with 18 points, while Glaze grabbed a game-high 11 boards and Russell finished with 11 points and seven assists.
SEATTLE U BEATS IDAHO TO ADVANCE TO CBI IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL
After trailing 43-42 with 6:32 left in the game, Seattle U used a 15-4 run to take a 10-point lead with 2:45 remaining and went on to a five-point victory over Idaho, 68-63, in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) last Wednesday. The Redhawks shot 35 percent in the first half, but connected on 57 percent in the second half for the win. Both teams took 19 three-pointers on the game, with Seattle U connecting on 10 and Idaho making just six. Brendan Westendorf led all players with 21 points, including 19 in the second half, to go along with 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He also added five assists. Jadon Cohee finished with 18 points, including 11 in the first half, while Jack Crook tallied 12 points and William Powell added 11.
CSU BAKERSFIELD FALLS TO OKLAHOMA IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
In its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament appearance, CSU Bakersfield made several runs and trailed by just four points with 4:18 to go in the game, but Oklahoma came out victorious, knocking off the Roadrunners 82-68. CSU Bakersfield was out-shot 51 percent to 45 percent, but the Roadrunners won the rebounding battle 30-26. Aly Ahmed led CSUB with 16 points, all in the first half, while Kevin Mays added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Dedrick Basile finished with 13 points and six assists. Jaylin Airington added nine points and Damiyne Durham chipped in eight for the Runners. With the loss, the Roadrunners close out the season 24-9, the best Division I record to date.
NM STATE DROPS HEARTBREAKER AT SAINT MARY'S IN NIT
NM State battled back from a 13-point deficit only to have their hearts ripped out as Saint Mary's defeated the Aggies 58-56 win in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Aggies tied the game with 2.1 seconds remaining, but Braxton Huggins committed a foul to send the Gaels' Joe Rahon to the free throw line, where he made both for the victory. The Aggies shot 36 percent from the floor, while Saint Mary's shot 51 percent. But NM State forced 11 Saint Mary's turnovers while the Aggies had just seven. The Aggies also out-rebounded the Gaels 36-29. Pascal Siakam posted his 27th double-double of the season with 19 points and 14 rebounds. He also added four steals and a block. Ian Baker added 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds for the Aggies, who finish the season 23-11.