Ryan Beasley compiled 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Washington set a school record for most 3-point attempts in a game while defeating Mississippi Valley State 77-64 on Monday in Seattle.
The Huskies (2-0) finished 17 of 50 from 3-point range, shattering the school mark of 37 attempts and falling just shy of the Big Ten Conference record of 51 set last week by Illinois in a 120-45 victory against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Parker Friedrichsen scored a team-high 17 points for Washington and Steele Venters added 15, with both making five treys.
Nikola Dzepina and LeJuan Watts, who combined for 49 points in the Huskies’ season-opening 90-76 victory against Colgate a week earlier, were limited to a combined 10 points. Watts contributed 10 rebounds and five assists against Mississippi Valley State.
AJ Abrams scored a game-high 20 points for the Delta Devils, with Matt Anglo and Gabriel Martinez adding 16 apiece.
Mississippi Valley State (0-2), under first-year coach Mike Davis — best known for succeeding Bobby Knight at Indiana and leading the Hoosiers to the 2002 NCAA Tournament title game — is playing its first 16 games on the road before its first home date Jan. 9 in Itta Bena, Miss.
The Huskies converted 41.8% of their shots from the field (28 of 67). Mississippi Valley State shot 36.5% (19 of 52) and was 7 of 22 (31.8%) from 3-point range. The Huskies had a 46-25 rebounding edge, including 16-6 on the offensive boards.
The Huskies took a 43-33 halftime lead, making 11 of 28 (39.3%) from long distance.
The Delta Devils built an 8-3 advantage before the Huskies went on a 9-0 run that was sparked by a 3-pointer from Venters and capped by another from Friedrichsen. The surge gave Washington the lead for good.
Dzepina made a putback to tie the score at 8-8 with 17:43 left in the half, and the Huskies didn’t make another 2-point basket for exactly 14 minutes until Wini Braga made a second-chance jumper in the lane with 3:43 to go as Washington continued to fire away from outside.
Wesley Yates III’s trey with 10:25 left in the half gave the Huskies a 27-17 lead before they cooled from outside and were unable to extend the advantage.
Mississippi Valley State opened the second half by scoring seven of the first eight points to pull within 44-40 before Beasley took over, scoring eight points in a 13-0 run — including a pair of treys.
The Delta Devils got within 60-52 on a putback by Tymias Williams with 7:29 remaining, but that was as close as the visitors would get the rest of the way.