Nikola Dzepina wasted no time making his presence felt in Washington’s season opener, and by the end of the night the sophomore forward had turned a tight game into a comfortable win.
Dzepina scored 20 of his career-high 27 points after halftime, powering the Huskies past Colgate 90-76 on Monday at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. He finished 10-for-17 from the field and 6-for-7 at the line, while adding seven rebounds, a steal and two blocks.
“I just listened to what the coach said,” Dzepina said in a postgame interview Monday. “I attacked more in the paint, and all this stuff.
I just (did) the simple things. Played the post and tried to score.”
For Washington, the second half was where the game finally tilted. The Huskies led by only five at the break after fourth-year guard Wesley Yates III buried a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the first half. Before that late shot, Colgate had spent much of the opening 20 minutes hanging around, leaning on its perimeter shooting to stay within striking distance.
The Red Raiders hit 6 of 16 from deep in the first half, while Washington matched them shot for shot for long stretches and went 12-for-25 overall, including 7-for-16 from 3-point range. But after halftime, the Huskies started forcing the issue inside. Colgate managed just one 3-pointer on six tries in the second half, and Washington began to separate at the line and on the glass.
The free-throw line became a major edge. Washington went 30-for-36 there, while Colgate finished 13-for-26.
The rebounding battle also flipped. Colgate had controlled the boards early, outrebounding Washington 22-14 in the first half and owning an 8-to-1 edge on offensive rebounds.
In the final 20 minutes, though, the Huskies grabbed 20 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, compared with 12 total for Colgate. Dzepina accounted for four of Washington’s nine offensive rebounds in the second half.
That extra work created more chances for Washington’s offense to breathe, and several Huskies cashed in.
Fifth-year wing LeJuan Watts scored 22 points on 3-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range, and went 14-for-16 at the free-throw line. He also added three rebounds, three assists and a steal.
“(Watts) got a lot of those (free-throws) at the end of the game,” Sprinkle said. “ ...
He’s so dynamic with the ball. He’s a de facto point guard.
He’s really quick and he can contort his body. He’s got a lot of fast-twitch.”
San Francisco transfer Beasley, who had missed both exhibition games with a concussion, returned to fill a floor-general role in the second half. He scored eight points on 2-for-7 shooting, went 2-for-6 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 at the line, while adding five rebounds, a team-high four assists and two steals.
“I felt good,” Beasley said after the game. “Had a good week of practice, getting my legs up under me.
Still working on getting some rhythm back (and) stuff. But, I’m just excited to be back and glad we got a (win) for our first game.”
Sprinkle said Dzepina’s performance reflected how far the Serbian forward has come since joining the team in December and struggling to learn the system.
“(Dzepina) had never even been to the United States as of like, (Dec. 11, 2025),” Sprinkle said after the game.
“Literally, he got here and we put him in a game the next day because we had so many injuries last year. He didn’t know any of the plays, he missed seven months, he wasn’t here all summer or anything.
You can tell he’s really cerebral. ... Our post guys are some of our best passers. ...
(Dzepina’s) got a really good feel. Sometimes he settles for his read too much.
He’s dynamic when he plays 15 feet and in.”
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