Seattle U Storms Past St. Thomas in Historic NIT First Round Win
It was a banner night for Seattle U basketball at the Redhawks Center. The men's team claimed a 67-52 victory over St. Thomas in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Thursday night, marking just the program's third-ever NIT appearance and first since 1957. Now they're heading to Auburn with a real shot at something special.
Building Something Real
Coach Chris Victor isn't shy about what this moment means for his program. "There's a lot of people at this university that put a lot of work into getting us to continue to improve, to continue to grow and continue to build," Victor said after the game. "I think this is the next step for us."
The numbers back him up. Seattle U (21-10) finished tied for fifth in the WCC, won 20 games, and now they're hosting postseason basketball. This is their first season in the WCC, and they've already beaten teams from the ACC and Big Ten. For a program that's been grinding to get here, that's a massive deal.
Turning It Around When It Mattered
Let's be honest: Seattle U looked rough early. They fell behind 18-8 and 20-10 in the opening minutes, getting outworked on the boards and in the paint. "We were on our heels to start," Victor said. "We were unsure and they were definitely the aggressors to start the game."
But here's where the Redhawks showed their mettle. Despite being outrebounded 42-29 and outscored 28-18 in the paint, Seattle U went on a 20-6 run fueled by three-pointers from Jojo Murphy, John Christofilis, Brayden Maldonado, and Junseok Yeo. They took their first lead at 25-23 before St. Thomas regained control to take a 31-30 halftime edge.
The second half? That's where Seattle U showed why they belong. They outscored St. Thomas 37-21 after the break and held the Tommies to just four points in the final seven minutes. Maldonado, who finished with a team-high 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists, knew it was about locking in. "We knew we could string a bunch of stops together," he said. "We're always in the game."
What's Next
Seattle U advances to the second round of the 32-team tournament and will face Auburn (18-16) on Saturday or Sunday. Sophomore guard Will Heimbrodt, who had 13 points and five rebounds, isn't intimidated. "We had an ACC win against Stanford and a Big Ten win against Washington," he said. "Going into Auburn, it's going to be fun. They're a great team, but I think we can hang in there with anyone."
This program is going the right direction. Now they've got to prove it on the road in the second round.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.