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On a Monday night when Seattle's attention was fixed on a high-profile football game downtown, the University of Washington basketball team quietly began its season across town at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies faced Colgate in their opener, but the announced crowd was strikingly small: a manual count, excluding cheerleaders, band members, media, and essential staff, revealed just 548 fans in the stands—one of the lowest turnouts for a UW home game in modern history.
Those who stayed away missed a solid performance from Danny Sprinkle's undersized squad, which defeated Colgate of the Patriot League 90-76. The game tipped off around the same time as the Seattle Seahawks-Chicago Bears matchup at Lumen Field, where the home team ultimately fell. Meanwhile, the Huskies took care of business on their campus court, located about seven miles away, against the Raiders from Hamilton, New York.
Sprinkle's starting lineup featured 6-foot-10 returnee Lathan Sommerville at center, 6-foot-5 Texas Tech transfer LeJuan Watts and 6-foot-10 returnee Nikola Dzepina at forwards, and 5-foot-11 USF transfer Ryan Beasley and 6-foot-7 Gonzaga transfer Steele Venters at guards. Dzepina stole the show, scoring 17 of the Huskies' first 23 points in the second half and finishing with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting. The second-year Serbian forward used a mix of short jumpers and inside spin moves to dominate.
The first half was tightly contested, with neither team leading by more than five points. Colgate's largest lead was 33-28 before the Huskies took a 43-38 advantage into halftime. Watts contributed 22 points, largely by converting 14 of 16 free throws, though he attempted just six field goals and made three. A positive sign for UW was Wesley Yates III, who has struggled with his shot since breaking his wrist nearly a year ago. Yates hit 2 of 3 from beyond the arc in the first half, including a 25-footer just before the buzzer, and finished 3 of 6 from deep for 10 points.
Sprinkle rotated 10 players, including Beasley, who had missed the two exhibition games due to concussion protocol. The Huskies were without 7-foot-1 Mady Traore, who dressed but has been slowed by knee issues, and Australian guard Tristan Devers, who is sidelined with a foot injury.
Key Analysis
The sparse attendance underscores the challenge of competing with Seattle's football fervor, but the Huskies' performance offered plenty of encouragement. Dzepina's inside scoring and Watts's ability to draw fouls were key, while Yates's shooting display could signal a return to form. With a week off before hosting Mississippi Valley State—which finished last season 3-30—Washington has time to fine-tune before another Monday night game. The Seahawks play again next Sunday, but the basketball team will aim to build on this win regardless of who shows up.