headtopics
If there was ever a sure win for the University of Washington basketball team at Alaska Airlines Arena, Monday night's matchup was it. The Huskies hosted Mississippi Valley State and handed the Delta Devils a 77-64 defeat, fueled by a record-setting barrage of 3-pointers.
For Mississippi Valley State, the result was all too familiar. The Delta Devils entered the game with the dubious distinction of being America's worst college basketball team. Last Friday, they opened another long-odds season with an 84-57 loss at Oklahoma. Over the past eight years, this Southwestern Athletic Conference member has won just 19 of 210 games, including Monday's loss.
In a gym that was perhaps a third full, the Delta Devils actually jumped out to an early 8-3 lead and appeared intent on shocking Seattle. But the Huskies unleashed their imported long-range shooters, and the game quickly tilted in favor of Danny Sprinkle's team, which set records by launching 50 attempts from behind the arc and connecting on 17.
Steele Venters, a Gonzaga transfer and starting guard, immediately drained a pair of treys from the left side to get things going. Davidson transfer Parker Friedrichsen came off the bench and hit 4 of 8 3-pointers as the UW built a 10-point lead in the opening half. Friedrichsen would lead the Huskies in scoring with 17 points, making 5 of 13 shots from behind the line. Ryan Beasley finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, with his scoring coming from 4-of-9 3-point shooting.
Sprinkle substituted liberally throughout the game, using 12 players, 11 of them just a dozen minutes into the game. Led by Friedrichsen's 12 points, the Huskies headed to the locker room with a 43-33 halftime lead. In those first 20 minutes, the Huskies made 11 of 28 3-point attempts, with Venters and Friedrichsen combining for 7 of 16. The 11 makes at the break were a UW high-water mark for at least 15 seasons.
After the break, the Delta Devils closed within 44-40, but the UW responded with a 13-0 run to pull away with 13 minutes left to play, with Beasley capping the run by dropping in consecutive 3-pointers.
The Huskies return to action on Saturday against significantly tougher competition when they travel to Salt Lake City to face the University of Utah, the first of three Utah-based teams they'll meet in non-conference outings.
Key Analysis
Washington's record-setting 3-point shooting (50 attempts, 17 makes) underscores the team's reliance on the long ball under coach Danny Sprinkle. The Huskies' depth was on full display, with 12 players seeing action, and transfers like Venters and Friedrichsen made immediate impacts. Meanwhile, Mississippi Valley State's struggles continue, as the program has managed just 19 wins in its last 210 games, highlighting a significant disparity in resources and competition level.
Originally reported by headtopics.