After three weeks without a game, Washington looked like “a bad gym class” in the first half to coach Mike Hopkins as the Huskies returned to the field on Saturday night.

Washington woke up and looked much better in the last 20 minutes.

Emmitt Matthews Jr. scored 11 of his 17 points in a big run to start the second half, and Washington took a 64-56 victory over Seattle University on Saturday night.

“The second half was really good. In the first half I didn’t recognize the team, ”said Hopkins.

The Huskies (5-4, 0-1 Pac-12) had not played since Nov. 27 due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the schedule that prompted Washington to suspend all team activities and to forgo a conference match.

After a sloppy and slow first half where Washington looked like a team after a three week break, Matthews started a 20-2 run in the first seven minutes of the second half that erased a seven-minute deficit. points at halftime. Washington led by no less than 14 in the second half.

Matthews landed a pair of scoring dunks during the run – one on a lob pass from Terrell Brown Jr. – and knocked down a 3-runner. It was only the fourth time this season that Matthews has scored in double digits. He also had 11 rebounds, a career high.

“I think only the team as a whole got into this mindset that we hate to lose. We are fed up with it. We don’t want to lose anymore, especially at home, ”said Matthews.

Brown added 16 points while playing against his former team. The Huskies have won 14 straight wins over rival Crosstown since Seattle returned to Division I in 2009. Seattle’s last win in the series dates back to 1978.

Riley Grigsby led Seattle (7-4, 0-0 WAC) with 20 points and Darrion Trammell added 18. The Redhawks led up to 11 points midway through the first half but missed 10 of 11 shots. and recorded seven turnovers in the first. eight minutes of the second half.

Before his return on Saturday, Washington’s last game was an 82-74 loss to Winthrop.

Due to COVID protocols, the Huskies have had games at Arizona’s No.8 rescheduled for January, a home game with the UCLA No.4 canceled and saved as a Pac-12 forfeit, and a clash with No. 5 Gonzaga was called off.

The Huskies returned to practice last Monday but were still not complete as assistant coaches Will Conroy and Quincy Pondexter were not on the bench for Saturday’s game. The rest of Washington’s list was available.

“For me it wasn’t playing games. Watch matches. Ours is canceled or postponed or whatever, ”Brown said. “I think we are building something special. It was three weeks behind schedule but I think we are moving in the right direction.

BIG PICTURE

Seattle: The Redhawks will lament a 16-minute streak at the end of the first half and into the second half where they’ve scored just 10 points. Seattle was 1 in 9 of 3 points in the second half.

Washington: The Huskies need to improve their perimeter shooting going forward. Washington was 2 of 15 on 3 points, which could have been the result of the long layoff.

FOLLOWING

Seattle: hosts Northwest University on Wednesday.

Washington: hosts Utah Valley on Tuesday.

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