SEATTLE (Interstat) — In a gritty, defensive struggle defined by second-half resilience, the Seattle Redhawks overcame a sluggish start to edge the Washington Huskies 70-66 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Friday night at a raucous Key Arena.

A crowd of 4,299 watched the Redhawks (10-2) rally from a three-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Huskies 44-37 after the break to secure their 10th victory of the season. Washington fell to 7-4 with the road loss, which saw a promising early lead evaporate under persistent Seattle pressure.

The most important part of the game was Seattle’s decisive 12-2 run midway through the second half, which transformed a narrow deficit into a commanding lead the Huskies could not reclaim. With Washington holding a 42-40 advantage after a Hannes Steinbach 3-pointer, the Redhawks clamped down defensively. The Huskies committed three consecutive turnovers, and Seattle capitalized with a Brayden Maldonado driving layup and free throws from Austin Maurer and Jun Seok Yeo. The run was capped by a Yeo dunk off a Maleek Arington assist, pushing the Redhawks ahead 52-44 with 8:38 to play and forcing a Washington timeout. The Huskies would never lead again, as Seattle’s defense, which recorded 11 blocks, consistently disrupted Washington’s rhythm down the stretch.

Washington’s Desmond Claude, a guard from New Haven, Connecticut, led all scorers with 24 points, adding four assists in 33 minutes. Guard Zoom Diallo of Tacoma, Washington, supported him with 17 points and three assists. For the Huskies, forward Hannes Steinbach of Wurzburg, Germany, provided a crucial interior presence, scoring 15 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds for a double-double.

Seattle’s victory was a balanced effort. Center Austin Maurer of Medford, Oregon, scored 19 points and registered three blocks, anchoring the paint. Guard Brayden Maldonado of Anchorage, Alaska, added 14 points and three assists, while forward Jun Seok Yeo of Seoul, South Korea, chipped in 12 points. The Redhawks’ defensive effort was spearheaded by forward Will Heimbrodt of San Anselmo, California, who matched Maurer with three blocks and altered numerous other shots, and reserve big man Houran Dan of Neimenggu, China, who blocked two shots and scored nine impactful points in just eight minutes.

The game began with Washington establishing early control. The Huskies opened with a Franck Kepnang layup and led throughout much of the first half, using active defense to build a 29-26 lead at intermission. Seattle struggled to find its offensive footing early, shooting poorly from the perimeter.

The second half saw a dramatic shift. The Redhawks, energized by their home crowd, began attacking the rim and converting at the free-throw line. Their defensive intensity also ramped up, forcing 10 Washington turnovers after halftime. The Huskies, who entered the game as a 7.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, could not sustain their offensive execution when Seattle made its pivotal run.

Washington had opportunities in the final minutes, closing to within 66-64 on a pair of Desmond Claude free throws with 35 seconds left. But Seattle’s composure at the line proved decisive. The Redhawks made four critical free throws in the final 19 seconds, two from Maurer and two from Arington, to seal the four-point victory.

The total points scored, 136, fell well under the pregame over/under line of 148.5, underscoring the defensive nature of the contest. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Washington had been projected with a 54.4% probability to win.

Washington looks to rebound when it hosts San Diego on Monday. Seattle, riding a three-game winning streak, travels to face Texas-San Antonio the same night.