Hannes Steinbach Is Never Better As UW Sweeps Trojans

Hannes Steinbach didn't receive his jersey in a fancy frame before tipoff. Didn't take a smiling photo with coach Danny Sprinkle. Didn't get to wave goodbye to the University of Washington faithful on Wednesday night.

Maybe somebody better give him a gift certificate before it's too late, because on Senior Night the 6-foot-11 freshman forward from Germany was at his very best in what likely was his final Alaska Airlines Arena appearance.

As the home part of the schedule came to a close, Steinbach had a stirring 22 points matched with a career-best 24 rebounds -- for his 19th double-double outing -- as he led a short-handed UW team to a season sweep of USC with a 91-72 victory.

He actually had a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds -- by halftime. His 20-20 outing was said to be just the second by anyone in school history.

"I challenged him to 40 minutes of force," Husky coach Danny Sprinkle said. "Make them have to deal with you for 40 straight minutes. Not 27. You can't get tired on nights like this. He was just a monster."

The Husky big man, who actually played just short of 39 minutes, deftly sidestepped any and all questions afterward about what might take place for him and his NBA ambitions that could come soon.

"I'm just trying to look forward to the next games," Steinbach said. "Like it doesn't matter if it was my last game. I just focus on what we had to do to win the game. it didn't cross my mind. "

In what could have been a dog of a game from the outset, with the Trojans dismissing their leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara over the weekend, both sides went at it early on as if they were playing for NCAA Tournament berths, which isn't going to happen.

Then it became a one-sided effort as the UW, leading by just four with seven minutes to go, outscored USC 27-12 to the buzzer.

After trailing for more than half the game, the Huskies (15-15 overall, 7-12 Big Ten) took the lead for good at 56-54 when Zoom Diallo dropped in a short jumper with 12:30 left in the game.

Hannes Steinbach had his 19th double-double of the season against USC by halftime. | Dave Sizer photo

Diallo wasn't bad either as his sophomore season winds down. He finished with a career-high 26 points, 13 in each half, against USC (18-12, 7-12) and a career-best 9 rebounds.

The Trojans were down just 64-60 with 7:21 to go when the UW finished them off with Steinbach first driving for a left-handed lay-in, getting fouled and making the free throw. That enabled the Huskies to bring down the hammer.

"He was just made to play basketball," Sprinkle said of Steinbach.

Jacob Ognacevic, Quimari Peterson and Franck Kepnang were honored on Senior Night. | Dave Sizer photo

Unfortunately early on for the UW, it couldn't shake some of its recent drawbacks, namely former Trojans guard Wesley Yates III stuck in a horrendous shooting slump. He was 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, leaving him 3 for 26 over three consecutive halves and looking a little lost.

Yates finished the night shooting 5 for 18, 0 for 9 from 3-point range.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Huskies had three guys walk out wearing protective boots in JJ Mandaquit, Jacob Ognacevic and Mady Traore, with Mandaquit on crutches.

Ognacevic went through Senior Night ceremonies alongside Quimari Peterson and Franck Kepnang. Only Peterson played.

The Huskies trailed by as many as nine, at 32-23, on reserve guard Jordan Marsh's left-handed 3-pointer, but closed the gap to 43-40 by intermission.

This game was a little more emotional than usual for Sprinkle, who's been noticeably frustrated by continuous sloppy play by his guys who are healthy.

Once freshman guard Courtland Muldrew aimlessly threw away a first-half pass, the Husky coach slammed a fist down on the scorer's table.

An overhead view of Zoom Diallo driving up the floor against USC. | Dave Sizer photo

Four minutes before the break, Sprinkle threw a fist in the air in anger after freshman forward NIko Dzepina appeared to cleanly block a shot, but was called for a foul.

He was happy when it was over. Muldrew gave him a career-best 9 points and Dzepina pulled 25-plus minutes, tying his career high, and hit a couple of shots.

"When plays had to be made, we made them," Sprinkle said.

Asked about Steinbach deserving a ceremonial moment just in chase he leaves, the Husky coach pushed back good-naturedly.

"I'm not going to speak that into existent," Sprinkle said. "I know what you're getting at. I'm trying to be positive. "

The UW now closes out the regular season with a Saturday night game at Oregon.