Parker Friedrichsen gave Washington a lift off the bench, and Ryan Beasley filled the box score as the Huskies handled Mississippi Valley State 77-64 on Monday night in Seattle.
Friedrichsen finished with 17 points and knocked down 5 of 11 shots from beyond the arc. Beasley turned in a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while hitting 6 of 11 from the field and four three-pointers. Steele Venters added 15 points and made 5 of 13 from long range, and LeJuan Watts chipped in seven points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
AJ Abrams paced Mississippi Valley State with 20 points. Gabriel Martinez and Matt Anglo each added 16.
Washington had to shake off an early deficit before taking control. The Huskies were down by five when Venters and Friedrichsen buried back-to-back three-pointers to start a 9-0 burst that flipped the game and put Washington in front 12-8. Wesley Yates III later hit a three to stretch the margin to 10 with 10:25 left in the first half, and Washington took a 43-33 lead into the break.
Mississippi Valley State came out fast in the second half. Abrams opened with a three-pointer, Martinez followed with a layup, and the Delta Devils cut the gap in half in just 37 seconds. Tymias Williams then made two free throws to get Mississippi Valley State within four, but Beasley answered with two three-pointers and eight points during a 13-0 Washington run that pushed the lead to 57-40 with 13 minutes left.
Anglo’s three-point play trimmed it to 57-48 with 9:28 remaining, but the Delta Devils got no closer.
Washington’s edge on the glass was a major factor, as the Huskies outrebounded Mississippi Valley State 46-25. The Delta Devils did make 19 of 23 free throws, while Washington went 4 of 7 at the line.
Mississippi Valley State plays at Oregon on Wednesday. Washington heads to Utah on Saturday.
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