SEATTLE — In a thrilling matchup on Monday night, Seattle University ended a long-standing rivalry streak by defeating Washington 79-70. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe led the Redhawks with impressive career numbers including 23 points and 16 rebounds, making this game especially significant as it marked Seattle U’s first victory over the Huskies in 48 years, since their last win in 1976.

Moncrieffe was efficient on the court, converting 7 of 11 shots and an impressive 9 of 10 from the charity stripe. This victory was particularly noteworthy, as Seattle U came close to breaking the streak last season but ultimately fell 100-99 in overtime. With this performance, Moncrieffe secured his sixth double-double of the season, while teammates Houran Dan and Paris Dawson contributed 10 points each.

The Redhawks surged early in the game, jumping out to a commanding 16-3 lead, partly thanks to Christofilis, who executed a four-point play and added six points during this run. By halftime, Seattle U had expanded their lead to 38-23 while Washington struggled, failing to score in the last 2:04 of the half.

In the second half, Moncrieffe ignited an early 12-5 run, boosting Seattle U’s advantage to 22 points. Washington’s Tyler Harris began to rally for the Huskies, scoring the first 10 points for his team in the half. Late in the game, Zoom Diallo scored seven consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 54-45 with under 10 minutes left. However, Christofilis quickly responded with another crucial four-point play, allowing the Redhawks to maintain control with a double-digit lead until just 21 seconds remained.

Washington was led by Harris, who scored 20 points. Great Osobor added a solid performance with 19 points and 10 rebounds, earning his third double-double this season, while Diallo came off the bench to score 13 points before fouling out.

The Redhawks excelled at the free-throw line, making 29 of 32 attempts for an impressive 90.6%, compared to Washington’s 16 out of 23, which translates to 69.6%. Despite this loss, Washington maintains a dominant record in the series against Seattle U, leading 35-5, with only two losses recorded at home out of 22 games.

Looking ahead, the Huskies are set to face NJIT this coming Sunday, while Seattle U will prepare to host Nicholls on the following Monday.