CEDAR CITY, Utah - In search of their first Western Athletic Conference win, the Southern Utah University women's basketball team will return home to face a struggling 3-12 Seattle University Redhawks team on Saturday, Jan. 18 in the America First Event Center.
Head Coach Tracy Mason Said:
"Seattle is fighting for their first conference win as well. We've had a really good week of practice and some good time to get prepared. We need to be focused and compete for 40 minutes."
Game Details
Who: Southern Utah University (2-14, 0-3 WAC) vs Seattle University (3-12, 0-3 WAC)
When: Saturday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: America First Event Center
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: HERE
Matchup History
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Southern Utah holds a 2-1 record with Seattle U, having lost their last matchup in a 75-71 nailbiter. Despite not coming away with the win, three Thunderbirds — Daylani Ballena (24), Ava Uhrich (17) and Samantha Johnston (17) — walked away with more than 15 points.
The Thunderbirds
Southern Utah faced two strong WAC opponents in Texas last week, dropping to 2-14 with a 0-3 conference record. The team returns home searching for revitalization, and its first conference win against a Seattle U team that ranked ninth of nine teams in the preseason 2024-25 WAC Women's Basketball Coaches Poll.
To turn their difficult season around, Southern Utah will have to lean into their strengths in their upcoming Saturday matchup. With the Thunderbirds ranking No. 4 in the WAC in both blocked shots and assists, paint presence and clean ball movement will be paramount to SUU's success.
Uhrich and Ballena lead the Thunderbirds in scoring with 10.0 and 9.6 points per game, respectively. Meanwhile, transfer Sydney Gandy has cemented herself as a strong perimeter shooter, ranking in the WAC's top five for three-pointers made. Lexi Bull has emerged as a dominant rebounder, ranking No. 4 in rebounds during conference play with 7.7 per game.
Scouting Report
Seattle U Redhawks
The 3-12 Redhawks have yet to win a conference game, although their Thursday night showdown with Utah Tech University on Jan. 16 offers them an opportunity before they face Southern Utah on Saturday.
The Redhawks currently rank No. 9 in both scoring offense, with only 57.5 PPG, and opponent field goal percentage, at 44.9%. SUU will look to take advantage of these Seattle U weaknesses, putting on the defensive clamps and finding a rhythm in their shooting attack. However, the Thunderbirds must watch out for the three, with the Redhawks scoring 6.1 triples per game.
Seattle U's primary threat, Candy Edokpaigbe, averages 11.3 PPG and 4.7 boards per game. Defensively, she also leads her team in steals with 25.
Tickets
Season tickets, mini packages, and single-game tickets are now available! Get yours today by visiting tbirdtickets.com
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