Washington Beats USC in OT to Stay Alive in Big Ten Basketball Tournament
The Washington Huskies season may seem like a broken record, but it will spin another day.
Overcoming a long injury list, early shooting woes and travel across multiple time zones, UW rallied in the second half to force overtime before beating USC 83-79 to stay alive in the Big Ten tournament. The Huskies, missing half of their 14 scholarship players, used a 13-0 run to tie the score at 58-all in the middle of the second half and played the Trojans even the rest of regulation.
Young Stars Fuel Zags MBB to 21st WCC Title Under Mark Few
Gonzaga men’s basketball shrugged off a shaky first half to secure yet another West Coast Conference championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament following a 79-68 win over Santa Clara on Tuesday, March 10, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The Zags (30-3, 16-2 WCC) had four players score in double figures, getting massive contributions from their freshman class in a critical victory. Gonzaga’s elite defense outweighed being shaky at the free throw line and outhustled on the offensive boards.
Gonzaga WBB Defeats Oregon State 77-67, Wins First WCC Title Since 2021-22
One year ago today, Gonzaga women’s basketball walked off the court at Orleans Arena with tears, disappointment, and heartbreak. Surrendering a lead in the final minutes, the one-seeded Bulldogs had lost 63-61 to four-seeded Oregon State in the conference tournament semifinals.
Three current Zags were on that team. WCC Player and Freshman of the Year, Lauren Whittaker, was glued to the bench, redshirting as she recovered from a torn ACL. Allie Turner, who had hit a program-record 105 threes in her freshman campaign, watched as Kennedie Shuler ran by her for the game-tying transition layup after a turnover. And Inês Bettencourt, who’s now a senior, was the defender guarding Shuler when the Beavers point guard drove inside for the game-winning layup with .7 seconds remaining.
This season, there wasn’t much continuity between the rosters, but those three staples remained for the Zags, and they each contributed to a different result this time around. There were more waterworks from GU, but of the happy variety, as the Bulldogs (24-9, 14-4) took down OSU (23-11, 13-5) 77-67 to win their 11th conference championship, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga MBB Stays Course, Downs Oregon State To Reach WCC Title Game
Despite a slow start, the result was never in doubt as Gonzaga men’s basketball advanced to its 29th straight West Coast Conference championship with a 65-56 win over Oregon State on Monday, March 9, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
West Coast Conference Player of the Year Graham Ike led the way for the Zags as he has all year, with another 20-point double-double. The only time Gonzaga looked susceptible to the Beavers’ attack was when Ike was on the bench, and he didn’t sit for long (36 minutes played).
Gonzaga WBB Dominates Santa Clara 88-60 in WCC Semifinals
When Gonzaga women’s basketball (23-9, 15-4) lost narrowly to Santa Clara (24-9, 14-5) back on January 4, the Bulldogs turned the ball over 20 times, a total that makes it quite difficult to win games.
In the second matchup between these teams on Monday in the WCC tournament semifinals, GU committed 20 turnovers again, which would have seemed to spell doom. But instead, the Bulldogs somehow walked away from the contest with an 88-60 win, advancing to a date with four-seeded Oregon State in the championship game on Tuesday. It was the Zags’ largest margin of victory since their February 7 game contest versus Pacific, which they also won by 28 points.
Gonzaga Baseball Falls Just Short in Series to Creighton, Drops to 4-9
In an extremely close series, Gonzaga baseball (4-9) found itself on the wrong end in two out of three one-run contests in Omaha. Taking on Creighton (5-7), rain pushed the Bulldogs into playing three games in a little over 24 hours. And although the Zags staged one comeback during the set, they couldn’t complete another in the rubber match, resulting in their fourth consecutive series loss to open the season.
A new face joined GU’s rotation and turned in the team’s best outing from a starter over the weekend, while a certain freshman phenom continued to make headlines. But on the other end, Gonzaga’s offense continued to struggle to string hits together more than once during a game, ultimately not being able to flip enough slim deficits around to steal the series.
What transpired in yet another losing weekend for the Zags?
Redhawks Blow Chances Late, Fall to Tigers 61-58 in WCC Tournament
Seattle U had three looks late to tie their third round battle against Pacific on Saturday night. A missed Will Heimbrodt layup, missed Brayden Maldonado layup, and a missed Maldonado three will all continue to play in the Redhawks heads as they head back home following a 61-58 loss at Orleans Arena that ended their season earlier than hoped.
In the first half, Seattle looked like it was in the driver’s seat. Junseok Yeo led the Redhawks with nine first half points, but in his matchup with Pacific’s Elias Ralph, he picked up his second foul, forcing head coach Chris Victor to take him out with about five minutes left before halftime. After Yeo’s substitution, the Tigers stormed back. They closed out the half on a 16-1 run, fueled by six Seattle turnovers.
As a result, Seattle trailed 32-29 at halftime after leading for much of the half, but Victor’s squad kept the game within at least two possessions until the six-minute mark. The Tigers strung together a 10-0 run off the back of three Seattle turnovers to push the lead to 53-43. This sequence of miscues dug a hole that proved to be too big for the Redhawks to climb out of, though they certainly made a valiant effort to do so in the closing minutes.
Huskies Men’s Basketball Erases 21-Point Deficit, Still Falls to Oregon in Regular Season Finale
Hannes Steinbach’s 20-point double-double in the second half alone helped erase a 21-point Oregon lead, but the Ducks’ late-game heroics sealed the Huskies’ fate in an 85-79 loss in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, March 7, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
The defeat sealed UW men’s basketball’s fate as the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, setting them up for a game against No. 13 USC in the third round on Wednesday, March 11.
UW finished the regular season 15-16 overall (7-13 B10). The Huskies have shown their potential at times throughout the campaign, but have consistently fallen short of their ceiling amid injuries and defensive lapses.
Sounders Earn Second Clean Sheet, Notch Road Win over St. Louis
A night full of pressing left both sides tired, but the Seattle Sounders prevailed 1-0 over host St. Louis City on Saturday night thanks to an early second-half goal from Kalani Kossa-Rienzi. It was the first road win of the season for the Sounders (2-1-0 W-L-D), who warded off plenty of late chances from City (0-2-1) in front of a rowdy home crowd at Energizer Park.
Keeper Andrew Thomas earned that clean sheet, picking up five saves while Sounders defenders escorted five shots away on their own. Paul Arriola got his first extended run of the season, while veteran defensive pieces like Cristian Roldan and Jackson Ragen shined to hold St. Louis to a goose egg.
While points on the road are something to celebrate, as the Sounders check off game two of five consecutive MLS fixtures on the road while Lumen Field undergoes World Cup alterations, it wasn't all good.
Redhawks Squeak Out Defensive Slugfest, Edge Toreros in WCC Tournament
In March postseason basketball, offenses tend to slow down. A heavier emphasis is put on guys stepping up running half court offense and games come down to who can play better in crunch time. The Seattle U Redhawks needed both of those factors to go their way as they squeaked out a 58-56 win over the University of San Diego Friday night at the Orleans Arena in the second round of the WCC tournament.
Seattle led by the eventual final score with 1:43 left to play, and its defense hunkered down. The Toreros came up empty handed on their last three possessions, failing to capitalize on chances to knot it up or take a late lead. Their final possession came off a missed layup from Seattle’s Will Heimbrodt with 11 seconds left. On the other end, San Diego missed a potential walk off three and missed the game tying layup off an offensive rebound, allowing the Redhawks to breathe a sigh of relief as their season stayed alive.
Seattle’s effort late came off the back of a veteran who has been a closer for the team over the past month in guard Jojo Murphy. Murphy delivered off the bench with 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals, both of which led to fastbreak layups. Whether it's starting in place of Brayden Maldonado, starting alongside him, or coming off the bench, his effort has been something head coach Chris Victor can always depend on.
Analysis: Do Mariners Actually Have Something Real in Brennen Davis?
SURPRISE, Ariz. - The prospect trajectories of Brennen Davis and Jack Leiter are like a lenticular print. From one angle, they seem like they could not be any more different, but from the other, they have quite a few similarities. On the one hand, they both peaked in prospect rankings in 2022, when they each got the coveted number one spot in their respective organizations from Baseball America - and their stock fell in future years. But on the other, Davis has never seen a single pitch in the big leagues, while Leiter weathered a rough couple of outings in 2024 to come back for a full rookie year in 2025 when he pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 4.15 FIP in 151 ⅔ innings, finishing seventh in rookie of the year voting.
You wouldn’t know it from the way Davis took Leiter to town on Friday. The long-beleaguered outfielder saw a belt-high fastball over the inside part of the plate in the fourth inning of the Mariners’ game against the Rangers and sent a 437-foot missile to left center. The M’s went on to break a six-game Spring Training skid that had seen the team score 40 less runs than their opponents with a 5-1 victory. It was Davis’ third homer of the spring and brought his Cactus League batting average to .476. Is this for real?
WSU Men’s Basketball Eliminated By Portland in WCC Second Round
The No. 8-seeded Washington State Cougars men’s basketball team went one-and-done in the West Coast Conference Tournament following a 74-68 loss to No. 9 Portland in the second round on Friday, March 6, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Following a first-round bye, the Cougars appeared to lack confidence on offense in a season-ending defeat against a frisky Pilots group. Portland took away WSU’s 3-point bread and butter, and the Cougars looked lost offensively.
Huskies Beat USC 91-72 Behind Hannes Steinbach’s Historic Night
It’s been an inconsistent season for the Washington men’s basketball team, but the one thing the Huskies can generally count on his a Hannes Steinbach double-double.
The UW frosh phenom recorded his 19th game of double figures in both points and rebounds during Wednesday’s 91-72 win over USC, surpassing Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger for the most by a Big Ten freshman since the 1996-97 season.
It took Steinbach less than 16 minutes to get there against the Trojans, but there were more records to break for the 6-11 forward from Germany, who finished with 22 points. His 24 rebounds established a new modern-day record (since 1977).
‘We Were Committed’: Kraken Stick to Game Plan, Earn Massive 2-1 Win vs. Hurricanes
The Seattle Kraken knew exactly what they needed to do when the Carolina Hurricanes rolled into Climate Pledge Arena on Monday.
Entering the game with the second-best record in the NHL, Carolina averaged the second-most shots on goal per game (32) and had totaled the most combined shots on goal plus shot attempts (2,347 Fenwick For).
So it wasn’t a surprise when the Hurricanes outshot Seattle 36-15 by the end of the night. What was a surprise was that the Kraken put more of theirs into the back of the net.
Brayden Maldonado’s Heroics in Return Lead Redhawks to 71-66 Win Over Lions
In his first game back in the lineup, Brayden Maldonado did not miss a beat, having his best game of the season and helping the Seattle Redhawks get over a second-half hump that has plagued them all season for the 71-66 over LMU Saturday night at the Gersten Pavilion.
Maldonado returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games with an injury and finished with a season-high 33 points. He put the Redhawks on his shoulders offensively, impacting the game in a variety of ways.
Coming off screens, the Lions opted not to send multiple defenders at him, and the guard found his way into the paint driving to the hoop frequently. He attempted 12 free throws and converted on nine of them. He also matched a season-high in three pointers made with six. He made multiple tough shots coming off screens and gave LMU defenders trouble all night.
After Consecutive Run-Rules, Gonzaga Baseball Salvages Series vs. No. 13 Oklahoma
Initially outclassed in its first series of the season against a ranked opponent, Gonzaga baseball (3-7) left its series against No. 13 Oklahoma (10-2) on a high note.
It’s difficult to swing a series loss positively, but even while being run-ruled by the Sooners in each of the first two games of the series, the Bulldogs showed signs of life by the end of the weekend. The set culminated in a 7-1 victory where GU’s pitching staff truly stifled OU’s offense, with a southpaw spinning a quality start and a freshman right-hander continuing to dominate.
What steps did the Zags take at Kimrey Family Stadium?
Cougars Capsized by Waves, Lose 88-79 in Malibu
Closing out what has been a frustrating and disappointing regular season, the Washington State Cougars couldn’t overcome a poor start and dropped their finale in an 88–79 loss to Pepperdine in Malibu.
Despite the final score appearing somewhat competitive, the game was far more lopsided than the final score suggests, as Washington State used a garbage time run to make the end tally seem closer than it really was. The Cougars trailed by as many as 20 points with 8:30 remaining in the second half and were still down 16, 74–58, with just five minutes to play before a late run narrowed the gap.
With the loss, Washington State falls to 12–19 overall and 7–11 in West Coast Conference play, finishing eighth in the conference standings. In a year full of bad losses, this latest setback may be arguably the team’s most disappointing of the season, coming against a Pepperdine squad that entered the matchup in last place in the WCC. Even more concerning is the Cougars’ continued inability to win away from home. Washington State finished the regular season with just one Division I road victory outside the state of Washington.
Gonzaga WBB Falls 92-91 to Portland in Tight, Overtime Affair
The final score certainly doesn’t do an accurate job of depicting how this game unfolded. A physical contest between Gonzaga women’s basketball (22-9, 14-4) and Portland (17-13, 11-7), filled with fouls and turnovers, led to the Pilots edging out a 92-91 overtime victory at home, denying the Bulldogs a share of the WCC regular-season title.
Much like UP has done all season, it pressed, trapped, and was as opportunistic as possible on the Zags to limit attempts from beyond the arc and also keep them from the restricted area. Entering play Saturday as the second-best three-point shooting team in the country, GU only connected on a season-low two tries from deep, even while playing five periods. On the other side, Portland hit 13 threes of its own – several of the clutch variety – and forced 28 turnovers to gut out a narrow win.
That final turnover tally would be the highest Gonzaga has committed all season, and they happened in all shapes and sizes on Saturday. Inbounding the ball was an issue early as guards weren’t given much space, leading to forced and errant passes. When the ball did get brought up the floor, traps were sent that rushed swing passes, and the Pilots jumped into passing lanes. Eventually, the Zags' frustration grew, yielding self-inflicted wounds such as turnovers and offensive fouls that extended scoring droughts, such as a six-minute stretch during an eight-turnover second period.
Saint Mary's Erupts in Second Half, Defeats No. 9 Gonzaga 70-59
A tale of two halves might be an understatement. Opening the final regular-season WCC matchup between rivals Gonzaga (28-3, 16-2) and Saint Mary’s (27-4, 16-2), it was the Bulldogs who brought the energy to UCU Pavilion. Graham Ike was great in the first 20 minutes, gesturing back to the Gael Force, SMC’s student section, each time he converted a field goal. Saint Mary’s was hesitant to push the ball inside, taking more shots from beyond the arc than inside it, with its star forward Paulius Murauskas as the poster player for that style of basketball.
But the continuous three-point shooting became a weapon for the Gaels in the second half, while the Zags couldn’t come up with an answer. Ike was held to only four points after halftime and also fouled out with 3:45 to play. It was Gaels guard Mikey Lewis who stole the show, scoring a career-high 31 points with seven made threes, leading a ferocious attack that helped SMC surge to a 70-59 win and clinch at least a share of the conference regular-season title for the fourth consecutive season.
“I thought our defense was excellent in the first half. To me, it was a tale of two halves,” Few said. “…They were definitely the tougher team in the second half.”
Allie Turner Nails Nine Threes, Wills Gonzaga WBB to Win Over Saint Mary's
For most of this season for Gonzaga women’s basketball (22-8, 14-3), redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker has stolen the show. Averaging 19 points and 10.2 rebounds on 55.6% shooting, she has tied the WCC record with 12 Freshman of the Week awards and has a chance to break the record next week. But in the majority of the Bulldogs’ last home game against Saint Mary’s (15-15, 6-11) Thursday night, the Gaels did about as good a job as any team has at limiting the first-year forward offensively.
So who better to step up in Whittaker’s place than sophomore Allie Turner, who connected on nine three-pointers to tie Michelle Elliot for the most made by a Bulldog in a game. After a stellar freshman season of her own, Turner has taken more of a secondary role this year in deference to Whittaker. But she delivered a career-high 29 points to power her squad to a 75-67 win over Saint Mary’s on Senior Night, as the Zags keep pace at the top of the conference standings.
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