For These Huskies, Everyone Gets Into The Act On Game Night

University of Washington basketball games in November and December aren't supposed to be very artistic.

Overmatched opponents are brought in as preseason fodder for the Huskies, to give the home team a workout and little more, and play often turns ratty as double-digit leads emerge and games get out of hand.

However on Thursday night, this UW team did something totally out of character for this time of the year -- it efficiently and unselfishly shared the ball to the point that seven different players scored in double-figures for the home side in an 84-70 victory over Denver.

Wesley Yates III and and Hannes Steinbach topped the Huskies with 13 points each, Zoom Diallo came up with 12 and Lathan Sommerville, Bryson Tucker, Quimari Peterson and JJ Mandaquit all had 11.

"It feels amazing to know that anybody can put the ball in the basket," said Yates, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard and USC transfer. "It takes a lot of pressure off everybody, just knowing you can go out there and play freely."

This was the first time in 15 years, since Isaiah Thomas was running the show, that so many Huskies reached double digits in one outing.

"i want all of my guys hunting those shots," UW coach Danny Sprinkle said.

The Huskies used nine players and only starting center Franck Kepnang, who played 12 minutes, took just two shots and scored 2 points, and freshman guard Jasir Rencher, who drew his first college game time with 1:15 left, didn't reach the double-figure promised land.

Lathan Sommerville works his way to the basketball against Denver. | Dave Sizer photo

In the locker room, the Huskies typically choose a player of the game and have him ring a bell, and this time it was the 6-foot-10 Sommerville, a sophomore big man from Rutgers who came off the bench.

He was selected for being highly efficient after hitting all five of his shots over 18 minutes of play.

"When he came in the game, and I've been challenging him for his energy and effort, I thought he was phenomenal from the first minute he stepped on the floor," Sprinkle said of Sommerville. "He was playing hard and he was playing with passion and playing physical."

Tucker, the 6-foot-7 Indiana transfer and a starter, and Peterson, the 6-foot-1 East Tennessee State transfer who came off the bench, supplied 3-point shooting.

To begin the second half, Tucker hit three in a row from behind the line and finished 3-for-6, while Peterson was 3-for-7 in shooting treys.

Bryson Tucker fires up a mid-range jumper against Denver. | Dave Sizer photo

Mandaquit, the freshman playmaker, topped the Huskies with 7 assists, while Diallo and Steinbach each had 4 and Peterson had 3, as the ball was moving around the floor.

"In knowing it can be anybody's night. knowing everybody plays selfless, we always know the ball is going to come back around," Yates said. "No matter what five is in the game."

With so many players capable of playing and handling the ball and putting it in the basket, Sprinkle said his starters are far from set and he could open with five different guys from match-up to match-up.

"Our lineup is going to change, fellahs, it just is," Sprinkle said. "I don't care who starts, I really don't. I really think I've got nine starters, I really do. They're that good of players."

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