SEATTLE (Interstat) — The Washington Huskies delivered a commanding and efficient performance Saturday night, overwhelming the Southern Utah Thunderbirds 105-69 in a nonconference men’s basketball game at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

From the opening tip, Washington established a dominant tempo that Southern Utah could never disrupt. The Huskies built a 20-point lead by halftime, 53-33, and continued to expand it in the second half before a crowd of 5,516. The victory improved Washington’s record to 7-3, while Southern Utah fell to 4-8.

The most decisive phase of the game occurred in the final minutes of the first half. Leading 43-33 with under two minutes to play, Washington unleashed a devastating 10-0 run to close the period, transforming a comfortable lead into a commanding 53-33 advantage at the break. The sequence was fueled by Washington’s relentless defense, which forced two critical Southern Utah turnovers. Guard Quimari Peterson of Gary, Indiana, recorded a steal that led to a fast-break tip-in by Bryson Tucker. After another Thunderbirds turnover, Peterson found JJ Mandaquit for a 3-pointer. Peterson then stole the ball again on the ensuing inbound play and immediately assisted Mandaquit for another 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer. That flurry encapsulated Washington’s superior execution and effectively put the game out of reach.

Washington’s offensive performance was a model of efficiency. The Huskies scored 105 points on just 70 possessions, translating to an elite offensive rating of 143.0. They shot 52.2% from the field (36 of 69) and 43.5% from 3-point range (10 of 23), while also converting 78.3% of their free throws (18 of 23). Equally impressive was their care with the ball, committing only two turnovers against 11 for Southern Utah. The Huskies also won the rebounding battle 40-31, including 12 offensive boards.

Southern Utah, by contrast, struggled to find consistent offense. The Thunderbirds posted an offensive rating of 97.5, shooting 45.3% from the field (29 of 64) but a frigid 28.6% from beyond the arc (6 of 21). They also made only 5 of 10 free throws. Elijah Duval led Southern Utah with 18 points and six assists in 35 minutes. Tanner Hayhurst added 16 points, and Isaiah Cottrell scored 13.

Washington’s attack was balanced and potent. Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 forward from Wurzburg, Germany, led all scorers with 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting, adding three assists and a block. Wesley Yates from Beaumont, Texas, scored 14 points, all in the second half, including four 3-pointers. Mandaquit, from Hilo, Hawaii, provided a crucial spark off the bench with 11 points and five assists, all in just 18 minutes. Tucker contributed 12 points, Zoom Diallo had 10 points and four assists, and Desmond Claude added 12 points.

The Huskies’ defensive pressure was a constant, registering four steals and five blocks while holding Southern Utah to one of its lower scoring outputs of the season. The Thunderbirds’ previous game was a 70-81 loss at Oregon State on Dec. 6.

Washington entered the game as a heavy favorite, with a pregame spread of -25.5 and a projected win probability of 96.90% according to Interstat’s ELO system. The total score of 174 far exceeded the over/under line of 149.5.

Southern Utah next plays at Northern Arizona on Thursday. Washington will travel across town to face Seattle University on Friday.