Anchorage Daily News

This week is the unofficial coming-out party for Seattle University, a former conference rival of UAA that's making the jump to NCAA Division I athletics this season.

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So far, the Redhawks have reason to celebrate.

Seattle beat Louisiana Tech 61-46 Thursday at the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, the team's first victory as a Division I team over a Division I team since 1980.

The Shootout marks the first Division I tournament appearance in what seems like forever for Seattle, which dropped from Division I to Division III back in 1980 for financial reasons.

The tournament is an opportunity eight-year coach Joe Callero said he's always wanted -- a desire that was compounded every time he brought his team to Anchorage to play the Seawolves in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game.

On those occasions, his eyes often wandered to the Wells Fargo Sports Complex walls, where jerseys from past Shootout champs like UCLA, Duke and Kentucky hang in all their glory.

"Seeing all the banners, as a coach you know what that means," Callero said. "As players, you look at the banners and wonder what it would be like to be in a Division I tournament."

With their victory over Louisiana Tech, the Redhawks learned one thing about DI tournaments -- winners are rewarded with late wakeup calls. Louisiana Tech will play in a 2:30 p.m. consolation game, while Seattle advances to an 8 p.m. semifinal.

The Redhawks get to sleep in because they didn't fall asleep at halftime against Louisiana Tech.

In their only other Division I game this season, a sluggish second half doomed Seattle in a loss to Fresno State on Tuesday. Against Louisiana Tech, Seattle opened the second half on fire.

The Bulldogs broke a 22-22 halftime with a pair of free throws by Kyle Gibson and a layup by David Jackson to grab a 26-22 lead that was the definition of short-lived.

Twenty seconds of Jackson's shot, Michael Wright buried a 3-pointer for Seattle. A minute later, Seattle's Austen Powers drilled a 3-pointer. Chris Gweth stole the ball almost immediately and, 10 seconds after Powers' bucket, drained one of his own.

Suddenly Seattle was up 31-26, and Louisiana Tech never recovered.

"They came out and hit those big 3s and then they went to their flex game and really ground us down," Bulldogs coach Kerry Rupp said.

Except for Gweth, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who hit 39 percent from long-range last season (30 of 77), the 3-pointers came from unlikely sources.

Wright, a 6-5 forward, was 0 for 7 coming into the game this season and only made four 3-points last season, missing them all. Powers, a 6-8 forward, was 2 of 7 in previous games this season and didn't shoot any last season.

"I've seen him in practice and open gym," Gweth said of Powers. "I have confidence in him."

Same goes for Wright, he said.

"He doesn't take that many, but when he shoots them, I have confidence in him too," Gweth said.

Powers led Seattle with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Gweth added 14 as Seattle shot 44.7 percent from the floor, and 33.3 percent from 3-point land.

The Bulldogs struggled to establish any offensive rhythm, Rupp said, and hit just 34 percent of their shots. Kyle Gibson led the way with 16 points.

Find Daily News sports reporter Beth Bragg at adn.com/sports/bbragg or 257-4335.

SEATTLE (4-1)

Powers 6-9 3-4 16; Gweth 5-9 1-2 14; Wright 3-6 0-0 8; Boxley 3-9 2-3 8; Burl 2-3 3-4 7; Swanson 1-6 3-4 5; Broussard1-2 1-3 3; Harris 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 21-47 13-20 61.

LOUISIANA TECH (2-2)

Gibson 3-9 6-6 14; Jackson 5-11 0-2 10; Guyton 3-8 0-0 9; Rolle 2-4 3-4 7; Ashaolu 1-3 0-0 2; Rogers 0-2 2-2 2; Gibson1-3 0-0 2; Oliverson 0-0 0-0 0; Loe 0-1 0-0 0; Berhe 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 15-44 11-14 46.

Halftime score -- Seattle 22, Louisiana Tech 22. 3-point goals -- Seattle 6-18 (Gweth 3-6; Wright 2-3; Powers 1-2; Swanson 0-2; Harris 0-2; Burl 0-1; Boxley 0-2), Louisiana Tech 5-19 (Guyton 3-8; Gibson 2-6; Ashaolu 0-1; Gibson 0-1; Loe 0-1; Jackson 0-2). Fouled out -- Gibson. Rebounds -- Seattle 27 (Boxley 8), Louisiana Tech 32 (Guyton 7). Assists -- Seattle 14 (Gweth, 4, Boxley 4), Louisiana Tech 10 (Gibson 4). Total fouls -- Seattle 14, Louisiana Tech 18. Technical fouls -- Seattle-None, Louisiana Tech-None. A -- 4973

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