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UW MBB @ Crossover Classic Tournament (Nov 22-24) Info, Schedule, Results...
ChillyDawg
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The UW (2-2) https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball is the Crossover Classic Tournament (Nov 22-24) https://www.crossoverclassic.com/ in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where they will play 3 games in 3 days:
Nov 22 vs George Mason (3-0) https://gomason.com/sports/mens-basketball
Nov 23 vs South Dakota (4-1) https://gojacks.com/sports/mens-basketball
Nov 24 vs Nevada (1-3) https://nevadawolfpack.com/sports/mens-basketball
About the Sanford Pentagon
The cornerstone of the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the Sanford Pentagon, a 160,000-square-foot, five-sided facility featuring nine basketball courts, including the 1950s/1960s-inspired Heritage Court. The venue combines state-of-the-art amenities—including high-definition video boards and executive suites—with period-specific finishes that are a nod to the nostalgic days of basketball.
The 3,200-seat Pentagon is home to Sanford POWER Basketball Academy, Sanford POWER Volleyball Academy, the NBA G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women's and Men's Basketball tournaments and the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information, visit https://www.sanfordpentagon.com/ .
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Six games in three days makes for a big helping of Division I men’s college basketball at the Sanford Pentagon going into the Thanksgiving break.
South Dakota State, George Mason, Nevada and Washington are all going to be part of the Mammoth Sports Construction Crossover Classic. This series of contests begins on Monday, Nov. 22, and continues through Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
For tickets, visit ticketmaster.com or call the Sanford Pentagon Box Office at (605) 312-7917.
Last year’s Crossover Classic had teams and games but, because of the pandemic, no fans. That is not the case this year. This opportunity to see two games a day for three days — highlighted by the Jackrabbits’ three appearances — will include both quantity and quality.
The four teams have a combined 37 NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 trips to the Sweet 16. All four programs finished in the Top 150 in KenPom rankings last year.
SDSU In Sioux Falls
“We’re extremely excited to be able to welcome fans back, first and foremost, but also to welcome these teams to Sioux Falls,” said Jesse Smith, Sanford Sports vice president of operations and legal counsel. “Our hope is that this event becomes part of the fabric of the community and the fabric of the sports culture of this region. At the same time, it gives our local schools the chance to compete in their own backyard against some of the best programs in the country.”
Last year the Pentagon become a safe haven for college teams looking for games while the pandemic was restricting competitive opportunities nationwide. In that time, the Pentagon’s reputation for hospitality and safety — and its status as a unique venue with an old-school feel — reached new pockets of the college basketball world.
This year the return of basketball-loving spectators rejoins the list of reasons it’s an enticing place to play a game and also watch one.
“Most importantly for us is that we’ll give our fans here in Sioux Falls the chance to celebrate our team without driving 45 minutes to see us play,” said SDSU head coach Eric Henderson, in his third year with the Jackrabbits. “We’re going to be able to play these teams on our own soil. Maybe not our home arena but our home soil. That makes this a unique and special opportunity.”
It is not everybody’s home soil, but it definitely qualifies as a special opportunity for the visiting teams.
For Washington coach Mike Hopkins, this will be his first visit to the Pentagon. He has information, however, that he is bringing along with the team thanks to Emmitt Matthews Jr., who was on the West Virginia team a year ago that won last year’s Crossover Classic.
“It’s one of these tournaments where you get high-quality basketball in a city that loves basketball,” Hopkins said. “When you’re in holiday tournaments, those are the ones you remember as special. I know they’re the ones that I considered special when I was a player.”
Six Helpings Of Basketball
The schedule:
The Jackrabbits played eight games at the Pentagon last year and went on to win their fourth consecutive Summit League regular-season title. It was the seventh title in the last nine years for the program, which is the preseason favorite to finish on top again.
“Three games in three days is definitely challenging,” Henderson said. “But if you want to put your team in the NCAA tournament, you also want to put your team in some tough spots during the regular season. You don’t get this kind of opportunity too many times so we want to take advantage of it.”
The Jackrabbits’ 6’6” sophomore Baylor Scheierman and 6’7” senior Doug Wilson earned all-Summit honors a year ago and were named to the league’s preseason first team. Also back is 6’4” sophomore Noah Freidel, who was named to preseason second team.
On the opening night at the Pentagon, the Jacks will face Nevada, which is coached by Indiana Hoosier legend Steve Alford, now in his third season with the Wolf Pack. The squad is led by 6’2” point guard Grant Sherfield, the preseason Mountain West player of the year, and is coming off a 15-9 season.
Next up for SDSU is Washington, led by Jamal Bey, a 6’6” guard who averaged 10.3 points a game last year. Newcomer Terrell Brown, Jr., a 6’3” graduate transfer from Arizona, has led the Huskies in scoring so far.
On Wednesday, SDSU faces George Mason, coached by former Missouri star Kim English, who is in his first year at George Mason. The top returnee is Josh Oduro, who averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds as a sophomore.
“The teams involved are going to get three really different games,” Smith said. “Depending on the day you could be facing a team that likes to run or a team that slows it down. You’ll get a chance to see what you’re good at and what you have to work on before entering conference play.”
Mammoth Sports Construction Crossover Classic Pre-Tournament Press Conference: Washington And GMU
THE MATCHUPS
The Washington Huskies (2-2) leave the friendly confines of home for the first time this season and will participate in the Crossover Classic at The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., starting Monday, Nov. 22 through Wednesday, Nov. 24. The Huskies will open the tournament against George Mason (4-1) at 6:30 p.m. PT on Monday, followed by South Dakota State (4-1) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and Nevada (1-3) at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. All three games will be carried on ESPN+.
- UW is facing George Mason for the first time.
- Washington and South Dakota State have played once previously on Dec. 18, 2011 at Alaska Airlines Arena with the Jackrabbits earning the road win, 92-73. Nate Wolters led five South Dakota State scorers in double figures with 34 points. Tony Wroten led UW with 23 points. The Jackrabbits were an NCAA Tourney team that year while the Huskies won the Pac-12 regular season crown and advanced to the NIT Final Four.
- Washington holds the all-time series lead over Nevada 6-4, but the Wolfpack have won each of the last three meetings. Nevada won 87-85 the last time the two teams met on Dec. 11, 2016. The Huskies last win was 90-60 on Dec. 22, 2010 at Alaska Airlines Arena. The two teams met in a neutral site setting only once previously, March 16, 1984 in the NCAA Tournament where the Huskies prevailed 64-54.
NOTEWORTHYTwo new-look teams meet in the opening round of the Crossover Classic on Monday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
In coach Mike Hopkins' fifth year, Washington (2-2) comes with an overhauled roster, while George Mason (4-1) has a new coach, Kim English, who already has a huge win to his credit.
Toppling D.C. Beltway foe and 20th-ranked Maryland, 71-66, was a star turn for English, 33, a former standout at Missouri who played briefly in the NBA. It was Mason's first win in 10 tries against Maryland.
English has shaken off the transfer of four starters and reloaded with his own set of new players. D'Shawn Schwartz (Colorado) is averaging 15.4 points per game and shooting 47.1 percent from beyond the arc. Davonte Gaines (Tennessee) is the top rebounder at 8.8 per game while averaging 12.8 points. DeVon Cooper (Morehead State) adds 12.4 points per game.
Holdover Josh Oduro leads the Patriots in points (15.8 per game) and blocks (1.6 per game). Another holdover, Xavier Johnson, leads in assists (4.8 per game) and steals (2.2 per game).
On Monday night, GMU looks to rebound from its first loss, 67-64, Friday night at James Madison.
"They were the tougher team," English said. "They were the aggressor. They were more physical."
Washington is seeking a rebound as well after finishing in the bottom two of the Pac-12 the last two seasons. Hopkins has retooled with five transfers.
Arizona transfer Terrell Brown leads the Huskies in scoring (20.8 points per game). West Virginia transfer Emmitt Matthews contributes 10 points per game. Daejon Davis (Stanford) and PJ Fuller (TCU) bring experience to the backcourt, while holdovers Nate Roberts (9.3 rebounds per game) and Jamal Bey (11.3 points and 1.5 blocks per game) provide presence inside.
The Huskies had the lead late against Wyoming on Thursday, but fell in overtime, 77-72. The Huskies missed 13 of their last 14 tries from beyond the arc.
"They went zone and we weren't able to get great shots," Hopkins said. "It's a fine line. We missed some bunnies. We had some right there that hopefully the next game we don't miss."
UWDawgPound (click for full article) https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/11/22/22792022/george-mason-game-preview-how-to-watch-uw-washington-huskies-basketball
George Mason 2021-22 Statistics:
Record: 4-1 (win at Maryland, loss at James Madison)
Points For per Game: 77.2 ppg (81st)
Points Against per Game: 60.8ppg (56th)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 99.0 (174th)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 96.2 (107th)
Strength of Schedule: 219th
George Mason Patriots Key Players:
G Xavier Johnson- Jr 6’1, 186: 7.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 44.1% FG, 40.0% 3pt, 75.0% FT
It’s been a hot shooting start for Johnson so far this year but even with the improvement he’s still just a career 23.5% shooter from 3-pt range so that number will likely come down to earth. He has done a good job of distributing the ball to George Mason’s talented scorers but is averaging 3 turnovers per game and you can expect at least that many giveaways against Washington’s press.
G Devon Cooper- Sr 6’4, 201: 12.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 43.1% FG, 36.7% 3pt, 70.0% FT
A grad transfer from Morehead State, Cooper is averaging almost exactly the stats he did for them last season. He’s just a solid all-around scorer who doesn’t wow you in any one area but is at least average across the board. His one issue is turnovers as he is averaging 3.4 per game so far and that could be an issue against Washington.
G Davonte Gaines- Jr 6’7, 181: 12.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 52.6% FG, 62.5% 3pt, 87.5% FT
Gaines is experiencing a ridiculous breakout season after transferring from Tennessee where he averaged just 3.6 minutes per game last year and was 3/22 lifetime on 3-pointers. This season he is 10/18 from deep and has been a beast on the offensive glass. When Washington is in their zone they will have to account for Gaines wreaking havoc creating second chances.
F D’Shawn Schwartz- Sr 6’7, 232: 15.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 47.3% FG, 47.1% 3pt, 90.0% FT
Husky fans will be familiar with Schwartz who was a great 3rd banana at Colorado alongside Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright IV. With both gone he decided to move on as well and is showing early on that he can be just as effective with a more central role in the offense. He probably won’t shoot 47.1% from deep all season but he’s a career 37% shooter so it’s not as if it’s that crazy a hot streak which is completely unsustainable.
F Josh Oduro- Jr 6’9, 235: 15.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 60.3% FG, 28.6% 3pt, 45.5% FT
George Mason’s center has seen an almost linear progression in scoring going from 4.9 to 10.0 to 15.8 points per game this year. Washington fans may get some terrible flashbacks to Thursday night going against Wyoming’s Graham Ike. So far this year Oduro has scored on 16 of 20 post-up opportunities. If UW decides to just play single coverage on him when he gets the ball deep against Nate Roberts it could be a long night. However unlike Wyoming it doesn’t appear George Mason likes to just feed Oduro on every possession as he’s taking about 12 shots per game not 15.
Box Score https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/george-mason/boxscore/20068
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/instant-analysis-three-impressions-from-husky-mens-win-over-george-mason/
UWDawgPound https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/11/22/22797880/washington-late-free-throws-secure-77-74-win-over-george-mason-uw-huskies-basketball-brown-fuller
Knocking down free throws hasn’t exactly been a strong suit for Washington so far this season. Despite that, the Dawgs made 19 of 21 in the 2nd half including 6 of 6 in the final minute to preserve a 77-74 win over the George Mason Patriots. The Huskies nearly blew an 8-point lead in the final 3 minutes but the duo of Terrell Brown Jr. (23 points) and PJ Fuller (21 points) saved the day for the Dawgs. Washington improves to 3-2 on the year while George Mason falls to 4-2.
Scoring in the halfcourt set has been like pulling teeth for Washington’s offense but Jamal Bey on the first possession was able to work the ball inside with an up and under move to give UW the early 2-0 lead. George Mason countered with a made 3-pointer against the zone and from there the teams traded baskets as neither team had more than a 1-point lead for the first 3 and a half minutes.
George Mason though found an open man with his feet set in the corner and hit the 3 and after a Bey turnover Josh Oduro worked Nate Roberts inside to put the Patriots up 10-6 on the Dawgs.
Washington got going though when PJ Fuller entered off the bench. The stadium in Sioux Falls hosts G-League games so there are high school, college, and NBA 3-point lines. Fuller would’ve been fine if there was a 4th even deeper line on the court. He knocked down consecutive 3’s a few feet behind the NBA line the latter of which tied the game at 14. Then Jamal Bey got in the action with a corner 3 to put Washington in front 17-14. After George Mason closed within one Fuller decided to make it a trifecta with a 3rd made 3-pointer of the half.
The Patriots made quick work of Washington’s 4-point lead though as Josh Oduro got another layup down low and Davonte Gaines swished a pair of free throws. That tied the game at 20 with 6:07 left in the half.
Washington’s defense kicked it up a notch from that point though. Daejon Davis hit a shot clock buzzer beating 3 and after a missed George Mason 3 on the other end Terrell Brown Jr. got the long rebound. He raced downcourt and beat everyone to the rim for a layup to put UW up by 5. Washington then forced a pair of steals on consecutive possessions. The first led to an alley-oop slam from Brown to Matthews. The second was your run of the mill transition dunk on a bounce pass from Brown to Davis prompting a George Mason timeout to counter the 9-0 Husky run.
The University of Washington held off George Mason 77-74 in Game 2 of the Mammoth Sports Construction Crossover Classic on Nov. 22, 2021 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. Afterward, Patriots coach Kim English and guard DeVon Cooper addressed the media, followed by Huskies coach Mike Hopkins and guard PJ Fuller. Both teams have two more games in this event.
George Mason was finally able to get a 3rd chance opportunity on a kickout and made a wide open 3 to end their scoring drought. Those would be the last points of the half for George Mason as Washington split a pair of free throw attempts in the last few possessions to head to the break with a 31-23 lead.
PJ Fuller led the Huskies with 9 points and 3 rebounds off the bench while George Mason’s Josh Oduro had 10 points and 5 rebounds carrying the load down low. Washington at the break was shooting 45% on 3’s compared to George Mason’s 23% which was a complete reversal of early season results. The free throw shooting was less of a reversal as Washington was just 2/7 from the line including a miss on the front end of a 1-and-1.
Almost instantly in the second half any illusion that the Huskies would be able to coast to an easy win was dispelled. George Mason hit a pair of 3’s quickly to close it to 31-29 with 18:39 left in the game. Washington meanwhile missed several 3’s despite good ball movement and a George Mason layup tied the game at 63.
The rim finally came uncovered as Terrell Brown Jr who isn’t normally much of a long distance threat was so wide open he relented to let fire and made the 3 to put the Huskies back on top. George Mason kept coming but could never quite get over the hump. The Patriots tied the game at 36, 38, and 40 as the teams traded scores. After Brown made a pair of free throws to make it 42-40 Washington put on their full court press for the first time. It allowed Brown to get a steal and after getting fouled he made another pair of foul shots to open up a 2-possession lead again with 12:54 left.
Josh Oduro continued to be money at the line for George Mason despite coming in shooting 46% on the season to keep things close. Finally Washington’s defense started coming up big again as the Dawgs stole the ball on 3 consecutive possessions. 2 of them resulted in transition layups which stretched the Washington lead out to 53-46. PJ Fuller had a chance for a dagger open corner transition 3-point attempt but it didn’t fall and George Mason answered with a 3 on their end to once again keep UW from cracking it open.
After a pair of PJ Fuller free throws George Mason hit another 3 with a hand in their face to pull within just 3 points. Fuller showed off a Matisse Thybulle move though jumping the passing lane and coasting to an easy transition dunk. George Mason countered making their next 2 shots and once again push it to a 1-point lead just never quite getting over the hump.
With 5 minutes left Terrell Brown Jr. attempted to call game single handedly. He scored 6 straight points on an array of midrange moves to balloon the lead up to 68-60 with 3:23 remaining. Surely that meant an easy stress-free win, right? Not with this team.
George Mason hit their next 4 shots and scored 10 points in 2 and a half minutes. The last of those came after Daejon Davis just lost the ball trying to pass it and George Mason raced down court for an in rhythm transition 3 which brought it to 71-70 with 46 seconds remaining. Fortunately Washington figured out how to make free throws. PJ Fuller and Terrell Brown Jr. combined to go 6/6 from the line in the final minute and Fuller blocked a desperate 3-point heave at the buzzer to preserve the 77-74 victory.
Brown finished with game high 23 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. PJ Fuller had a dominant game of his own with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Daejon Davis was the only other Husky in double figures with 10 points and 4 assists. Josh Oduro and Devon Cooper each had 21 points for George Mason.
The Huskies were outrebounded 36-28 but held a 14-8 turnover advantage and their late free throws kept things even at that end of the court (21 makes each) to allow for the win. George Mason was 6 of 9 from 3-pt range in the second half to enable their comeback attempt but it wasn’t quite enough. Washington’s ball movement was much better tonight as they had a season high 15 assists with at least one from 6 different players.
South Dakota vs Nevada Game Highlights
Washington returns to the court in Sioux Falls tomorrow night at 6:30p to take on the local South Dakota State Jackrabbits. SDSU obliterated Nevada 102-75 in their tournament opener and expect to see a high tempo supercharged offense take on the Dawgs.
UWDawgPound (click for full article) https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/11/23/22797855/south-dakota-state-game-preview-how-to-watch-uw-washington-huskies-mens-basketball
South Dakota State Jackrabbits Key Players
G-Bailey Scheierman, So. 6’6, 205: 13.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 4.5 apg, 49.1% FG, 36.7% 3pt, 87.5% FT
Washington played Wyoming’s Hunter Maldonado last week and get a very similar type player in Scheierman who is a jumbo point guard. Last season he averaged 15, 9, and 4 and is off to a 13, 11, and 4 start this year so it’s legitimate. Unlike Maldonado, Scheierman is a legitimate 3-point threat who prefers his jump shot to iso drives to the basket. He’s shooting 53% on unguarded jumpers this season so UW has to account for him at all times. Last year he was 18th in the country in defensive rebounding rate and so far this year is 12th despite having 0 offensive boards. That’s a split I’ve never seen before.
G- Alex Arians, Jr. 6’4, 200: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 51.4% FG, 64.3% 3pt, 87.5% FT
The 64% 3-pt shooting is going to regress to the mean at some point but he’s a career 40% shooter on over 200 attempts so no matter what he’s a plus in that regard. Arians has made 75% of both contested and uncontested jumpers this season so the only way to keep him from shooting has been to keep him from getting the ball at all. He’s had a few games with turnover difficulties but had 6 assists and 0 turns against Nevada last night.
G- Zeke Mayo, Fr. 6’3, 179: 7.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 45.7% FG, 33.3% 3pt, 100.0% FT
Mayo is in his first college action this season but is off to a solid start. His 3.9% steal rate leads the team so expect him to see some time guarding Terrell Brown Jr. Consequently his most common play type is in transition so he isn’t going to do a ton of taking guys off the dribble.
G- Noah Friedel, So. 6’4, 200: 19.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 52.7% FG, 46.9% 3pt, 61.5% FT
Last year Friedel was one of the premier scorers in the Summit League averaging 16 points per game and he has picked up where he left off. He ranks in the 83rd percentile or better nationally per Synergy Sports as a spot up shooter, in transition, and running pick and roll so he can score however he wants (except posting up down low). He’s just an efficiency machine with a career slash line of 45/40/79 shooting.
F- Douglas Wilson, Sr. 6’7, 220: 15.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 57,3% FG, 57.1% FT
Wilson may be undersized for a center but he doesn’t play like it. Somehow the 15 points he’s averaging right now would actually be a career low as he put up 18.6 pts, 6.4 reb and 16.8 pts, 5.4 reb in his previous 2 years. Wilson is not a great rebounder by any means (although good on the offensive glass) but he can flat out put the ball in the basket. He’s not an amazing post-up specialist like recent centers UW has faced which is good news for Nate Roberts but he’s excellent cutting to the basket and running the floor in transition for easy buckets. That has led him to be 4th in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes which is worse news for Nate Roberts.
The Outlook
Washington saw a step up in competition the last 2 games with Wyoming and George Mason but get to experience another leap playing South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits have been good over the last decade with 5 NCAA tournament appearances but this squad has a chance to be the best one yet.
The key for South Dakota State is that they play like their namesake. They’re 7th in the country in tempo as they want to get out and play in transition as often as possible. Playing at a fast pace sometimes overinflates offensive numbers but this is a legitimately devastating offense even when accounting for pace. SDSU is 15th in the country in effective field goal percentage and shooting 42.1% from 3-point range. That’s the only area where their offense is truly elite but if you’re going to pick one spot then that’s a pretty good one.
No one on SDSU’s roster is taller than 6’8 so what they don’t have in size they make up for in speed. Occasionally you’ll see them bring out a lineup with 2 6’7 or 6’8 players but most of the time it will be a 4 guard lineup designed to space the floor and leave room for Douglas Wilson to cut to the basket inside. Four Jackrabbits are shooting at least 40% on at least 1.5 attempts from deep per game so you should generally assume that everyone can shoot the ball which prevents teams from packing the paint.
Predictably SDSU can sometimes struggle on the defensive end. The best team they’ve faced this season, Alabama, put up 104 points as they shot 64% from 2-point range. That’s good news for a Washington team that likes to drive to the basket. The Jackrabbits will have the foot speed to keep up on the perimeter but don’t have the kind of length that can alter and block shots. They’re 325th nationally in block rate on defense. So far they haven’t been vulnerable to giving up a lot of free throws but UW needs to keep driving the ball and forcing the issue.
South Dakota State has plenty of advantages in this one. They run a legitimate 10 man rotation to allow them to keep playing fast at all times. The game isn’t in their home arena but it’s only an hour away so will feel like a true road contest. Finally, despite featuring mostly underclassmen SDSU ranks 4th in minutes continuity. They brought back nearly everyone from a team that won the Summit League regular season title before getting upset in the conference tournament.
Washington’s best lineup this season has been when they’ve played 4 guards with Emmitt Matthews Jr. at the 5. South Dakota State’s rotation patterns may allow Washington to go with that lineup for longer stretches and actually work to UW’s advantage. If the Huskies had a true post threat they could eat in this game but that’s just not who Nate Roberts is unfortunately. I just don’t think that Washington quite has the offense to keep up even if their defense should present a legitimate challenge with its length and athleticism.
Prediction
Washington Huskies 78 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 87
Box Score https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401371749
Box Score https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401371749
Box Score https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/south-dakota-state/boxscore/20069
Go Huskies https://gohuskies.com/news/2021/11/23/mens-basketball-brown-scores-32-washington-defeats-south-dakota-state-87-76.aspx
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/instant-analysis-three-impressions-from-uw-mens-win-over-south-dakota-state/
UWDawgPound https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/11/23/22799823/washington-huskies-silences-the-hot-shooting-jackrabbits-87-76
UW vs SDSU Highlights
Mike Hopkins, Terrell Brown Postgame Presser
SI https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/brown-led-huskies-enjoy-another-big-night-in-south-dakota
The difference between the Washington basketball team's first and second nights in South Dakota was the crowd.
In the Huskies' opener against George Mason, it was so sparse inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls you could hear a lone woman complain all game long about the officiating.
On Tuesday night, the locals came out in much larger numbers to see the UW take on their high-scoring South Dakota State team, turning things a lot more lively.
What was similar was Terrell Brown Jr., who went another scoring rampage, dropping in a career-high 32 points by hitting 13 of 18 highly creative shots.
The Huskies shrugged off the hometown team and its partisan following with another strong effort, beating the Jackrabbits 87-76 and ultimately quieting everyone from baseline to baseline and sending them home disappointed.
Mike Hopkins' team looks so comfortable in this Midwest state, it might consider spending a couple extra days, maybe visit Mount Rushmore or take a motorcycle ride up to Sturgis after its final game against Nevada on Wednesday night.
For now, the Huskies (4-2) are content turning themselves into a cohesive group that has a chance to win every night, which runs in stark contrast to the previous team. The positive outcome over South Dakota State brought the UW within one victory of last season's tally (5-21).
Against South Dakota State (5-2), Brown scored 21 in the second half for the second consecutive outing as the Huskies never trailed and built a 13-point lead on multiple occasions.
"He got the look in his eyes," Hopkins said, "and he was just incredible."
When things got a tad dicey for the Huskies coming down the stretch, the 6-foot-3 Arizona transfer went to work. In one stretch, he scored 15 consecutive points for his team on a variety of winding, off-balance shots.
With the Huskies up just 65-61, Brown dared the Jackrabbits' Chucky Easley to try and stop him. He tossed in a one-hander while getting knocked to the floor with 7:33 left to play. He dropped in the foul shot, giving him 24 points to that point.
"Terrell Brown just took over," his coach marveled.
Brown scored a previous career-best 31 on four occasions for Seattle University, his original Division 1 stop, and he came up with 30 for the Huskies against Wyoming last week.
He got plenty of help, too, with PJ Fuller coming off the bench for 14 points, Emmitt Matthews Jr. providing 13 and Jamal Bey adding 12.
Collectively, all of the Huskies followed the lead of Brown and took highly make-able shots, hitting a sizzling 58.3 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from behind the line, a vast improvement over their earlier outings.
The Jackrabbits came in advertised as a free-wheeling team, averaging 90 points a game. The UW, alternating zone and man defenses, was the first to hold them under 80 this season.
Supposedly one the nation's leading 3-point-shooting teams, they hit just 6 of 17 treys, finishing below 9 in a game for the first time, too.
When the final buzzer sounded, Brown walked off the court tightly clutching the basketball, no doubt going looking for another game.