Huskies Men’s Basketball Win, Score Triple Digits For 1st Time Since 2017 vs. Southern Utah
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Washington Huskies guard Desmond Claude (1) shoots a free throw in the first half against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images [/caption]
The Washington Huskies men’s basketball team put up its first triple-digit performance since the 2017 season in a 105-69 non-conference victory over Southern Utah on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Alaska Airlines Arena.
UW earned its second straight win in a tune-up following a critical win over USC on Dec. 6. Six players scored in double figures in an explosive performance for the Huskies.
The Huskies moved to 7-3 overall (1-1 Big Ten), while the Thunderbirds dropped to 4-8 (0-0 WAC).
Even though it’s not a significant victory in terms of the schedule, UW proved it won’t play down to an opponent during the 2025-26 season. This is a team that could make some noise in the Big Ten.
Never a doubt from the start
The Huskies used a 10-0 run early in the first half to gain an early edge. UW was in control from the start with a balanced offensive approach, getting at least five points from seven different players in the first half.
UW took the opportunity to play a deep rotation in the first of its four straight non-conference games. Nine different players saw the court in the first period alone, and they all contributed. It was more opportunistic against a lesser opponent than anything else, but head coach Danny Sprinkle took advantage of getting minutes to his full lineup.
Another 10-0 run near the end of the first half pushed the Huskies’ lead out to 20 at halftime. Southern Utah’s leading scorer, Elijah Duval, scored just five first-half points.
Senior guard Desmond Claude, sophomore forward Bryson Tucker and freshman guard JJ Mandaquit each added eight points to lead the Huskies. Mandaquit drilled a pair of 3-pointers near the end of the period to push UW’s lead out further.
Southern Utah tried to keep up. But the Huskies were gifted an insane 17 free throw attempts, making 15. The Thunderbirds didn’t have a single trip to the free throw line in the first half.
A biased trend, but a legitimate win
UW kept building its lead in the second half. And the Thunderbirds continued not to get any calls from the referees.
The Huskies are a better team, and they played a mostly clean game. But it's not often you see a team get 19 free throw attempts before the other team gets one. It became egregious as the game continued.
Southern Utah simply struggled to defend the Huskies. Many of the calls against UW were warranted, but it took until there was 7:22 left in the game for the first whistle in favor of the Thunderbirds.
When Duval finally got two attempts for the Thunderbirds, he missed them both.
On the opposite end, the Huskies forced 10 turnovers while only giving it away twice. There were undoubtedly a few missed fouls that resulted in Thunderbirds turnovers, but it was a strong defensive effort.
UW led by as much as 39 points. The Huskies cruised to a non-league victory, which was essentially just a tune-up game a week after their critical win over USC. They have three more such contests before they return to Big Ten play on Jan. 4.
In just 23 minutes, star freshman forward Hannes Steinbach scored a team-high 14 points and added six rebounds, three assists and a block. Sophomore guard Wesley Yates III tied Steinbach’s scoring output, while Claude and Tucker each scored 12.
The Huskies dominated in virtually every category, also outrebounding the Thunderbirds 43-31. It was a game they should have dominated, and they did.
UW’s shooting efficiency stood out, finishing 36 for 69 from the field (52%). Southern Utah converted 45% of its shots, but the free throw deficit was the biggest difference in the game.
Up Next
The Huskies will face Seattle University at Climate Pledge Arena, a neutral venue, on Friday, Dec. 19. It’s the second of four straight non-league games UW will play before returning to Big Ten play in early January.
It’s the slow season for the Huskies before they go on the road at Indiana (8-2) on Sunday, Jan. 4. That will be when UW’s results begin to have a major impact again.
