Seattle University left Eugene with a 71–65 exhibition win over Oregon, powered by one overwhelming second-half sequence rather than a wire-to-wire offensive performance. The Redhawks used a 19–2 surge to turn a shaky start into a six-point finish at Matthew Knight Arena.
The result deserves its proper context: exhibitions do not count in the regular-season standings and do not settle either team’s outlook. Still, winning a game like this required Seattle U to find answers after its shooting deserted it early, then sustain enough defensive activity and rebounding to protect the lead. That combination is a useful early signal.
How the game turned
Seattle U made only 32.5% of its first-half attempts and went 1-for-17 from three-point range, according to the school’s recap. In the second half, the Redhawks raised their field-goal rate to nearly 41% and made five of 10 shots from deep. That reversal created the opening for the 19–2 run and made the offense look far more balanced.
Mason Williams led all scorers with 19 points and made three threes. Freshman Amare Larane added 11 points, Tyler Boston scored 10, and Halvine Dzellat supplied eight points on 4-for-4 shooting. The distribution matters as much as Williams’ total: Seattle U found several ways to score once the perimeter shots started falling.
The possession battle
The Redhawks also built the win with the kinds of plays that can travel. They produced 12 steals and forced 25 Oregon turnovers. On the glass, Seattle U held a 41–40 edge, including 16 offensive rebounds that became 11 second-chance points.
Dzellat and Will Heimbrodt each collected nine rebounds, and together they pulled down 10 offensive boards. Those extra possessions helped offset the early shooting problems and narrowed Oregon’s opportunities to answer the run.
What comes next
This should be read as encouraging evidence, not a final verdict. Seattle U showed it can recover from a cold stretch, create disruption and get multiple contributors involved against a major-conference opponent. The next test is converting those traits into consistency when the regular season opens Nov. 2 at Hawaii.
The victory is the completed counterpart to the Redhawks’ earlier announced exhibition date at Oregon.