Montana State vs. Seattle 2012 recap: Redhawks open season with win

The Seattle University Redhawks are on the right path to the NCAA tournament following their season-opening 87-72 win over Montana State on Sunday.

Redhawks guard Clarence Trent finished with 18 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes. Many of the Redhawks joined in on the fun, as head coach Cameron Dollar played 13 players, with 12 of them scoring.

Freshman forward Deshaun Sunderhaus scored seven of Seattle's first nine points and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Senior forward Chad Rasmussen added 12 points and six rebounds.

Seattle outperformed Montana State in almost all categories, including turnovers. They harried Montana State into 28 turnovers, but committed 25 in the process. They only hit 17 of 31 free throws, good for just 54.8 percent.

Seattle University joined the Western Athletic Conference this year and will be eligible for the NCAA tournament after joining Division I basketball in 2008. The Redhawks were a member of Division I sports from 1946 to 1981, and actually played in the NCAA title game in 1958.

The Redhawks will get a better gauge of where they stand when they travel to take on the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday.