SEATTLE — After watching a 21/2-hour game that included 53 fouls, 37 turnovers and a 12th-ranked University of Washington men’s basketball team that needed an 18-2 second-half run to pull away from Cal State Northridge, Huskies head coach Lorenzo Romar sat in front of the media and held his thumb and forefinger a quarter-inch from each other.
“We’re at a point where we’re this close to being a really good basketball team,” Romar said after the Huskies eventually put away Northridge 88-76 on Sunday night. “But that margin, if we don’t get there soon, we’ll just be OK.”
The real Huskies are about to stand up.
With three ranked opponents on the schedule in UW’s next three games, the Huskies (6-1) were trying to work out the kinks on Sunday night. And by all accounts, some of the problems still exist.
UW survived a sloppy game due in large part to rebounding (a season-high 50, as compared to 30 from the visiting Matadors) and free-throw shooting (31-of-40, marking season highs in both makes and attempts). What most concerned Romar were the 20 turnovers, 3-of-10 shooting from 3-point range, and a few defensive lapses along the way.
Romar said a big reason for the lack of flow was a substitution pattern that he used in an effort to try different combinations. He said he’ll cut down the rotation in future games, beginning with this Saturday’s neutral-site game against 16th-ranked Georgetown.
“Rotating so many people may have gotten us out of rhythm,” Romar said, “and we didn’t get back into rhythm until the second half (of Sunday’s win).”
Due in large part to 20 first-half free throws, the Huskies hung around for the first 20 minutes but didn’t look like the 12th-ranked team they were entering last week.
Coming off a Thursday loss to Texas Tech that will likely drop UW in the latest poll that comes out today, the Huskies started slow but still managed to lead 46-34 at the half.
Freshman Abdul Gaddy put on his best offensive performance of the season on the way to nine first-half points, while Isaiah Thomas overcame another rough shooting night to score a team-high 13 in the first half.
But nearly all of UW’s eight-point halftime lead evaporated after the Matadors opened the second half with a 13-2 run to get within 48-47. Northridge (4-4) scored 11 unanswered points in a span of three minutes before the Huskies finally answered.
Senior Quincy Pondexter, who had a quiet first half, hit his first 3-pointer of the season, then added a steal and an assist on Matthew Bryan-Amaning’s dunk as the Huskies pulled back ahead by six, 53-47. That lead quickly grew to 17 points when Thomas capped off an 18-2 run with a traditional three-point play with 9:12 remaining.
Thomas led all scorers with 21 points despite 4-of-10 shooting, while Pondexter had 20 points.
But the most important statistics came on the boards and at the free-throw line.
Referees called 53 fouls throughout the game, and the constant whistles seemed to affect Northridge more than the Huskies. The Matadors’ leading scorer Kenny Daniels and key sub Kevin Menner limited to just 19 total minutes because of foul trouble in the first half.
Ten-and-a-half minutes into the second half, the Matadors had three players with four fouls and had 25 as a team.
But the rebounding was just as important a factor in UW’s victory. Bryan-Amaning led a balanced effort with 10 rebounds, while five teammates had at least four.
UW was coming off a 99-92 overtime loss to Texas Tech that saw the Huskies get outrebounded for the first time all season.
In a sense, UW rebounded through rebounding.
“Our team was hurt” after the Texas Tech loss, Pondexter said late Sunday night. “Really, emotionally hurt. We all looked in our hearts and learned we have to get a lot better.”
How much better the Huskies have gotten was a question that went unanswered during Sunday night’s foul-fest.
With No. 16 Georgetown, No. 25 Portland and No. 19 Texas A&M on tap for the UW’s next three games, the Huskies will have plenty of opportunities to show what kind of team they really are.
“This time of year is time to put up or shut up,” Pondexter said. “If we keep progressing the way we have, the sky’s the limit for us.”
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