Cougars Capsized by Waves, Lose 88-79 in Malibu
Closing out what has been a frustrating and disappointing regular season, the Washington State Cougars couldn’t overcome a poor start and dropped their finale in an 88–79 loss to Pepperdine in Malibu.
Despite the final score appearing somewhat competitive, the game was far more lopsided than the final score suggests, as Washington State used a garbage time run to make the end tally seem closer than it really was. The Cougars trailed by as many as 20 points with 8:30 remaining in the second half and were still down 16, 74–58, with just five minutes to play before a late run narrowed the gap.
With the loss, Washington State falls to 12–19 overall and 7–11 in West Coast Conference play, finishing eighth in the conference standings. In a year full of bad losses, this latest setback may be arguably the team’s most disappointing of the season, coming against a Pepperdine squad that entered the matchup in last place in the WCC. Even more concerning is the Cougars’ continued inability to win away from home. Washington State finished the regular season with just one Division I road victory outside the state of Washington.
Washington State Blows Another Halftime Lead in Embarrassing 67-66 Loss to LMU
Continuing to excel at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Washington State Cougars suffered yet another brutal loss on Wednesday night, falling 67-66 to Loyola Marymount after blowing a 15-point halftime lead. It was a loss that felt all too familiar for a team that has struggled to put together a full 40-minute game this season.
Washington State looked to be in complete control early. The Cougars stormed into halftime with a commanding 39-24 advantage, getting whatever they wanted on offense for the most part and forcing LMU to take contested two-point jump shots away from the basket.
But as has been the case too frequently this season, the second half was a different game for all of the worst reasons as a double-digit lead evaporated and the Lions came roaring back to steal the win. Wednesday night adds to a growing list of games in which Washington State has surrendered sizable second-half leads, as the Cougars have now lost games while being up 12,17, and 15 points in the final 20 minutes this year.
Washington State Fizzles in Second Half, Saint Mary’s Pulls Away for 83-67 Win
The Washington State Cougars hung with Saint Mary's for nearly 27 minutes on Saturday night, but a cold half from beyond the arc and a lack of stops down the stretch allowed the favored Gaels to pull away for an 83–67 victory in Pullman.
For much of the game, the Cougars showed they were capable of competing with one of the top teams in the West Coast Conference. However, they needed to play at their best for 40 minutes and once Saint Mary’s started to pull away, Washington State wasn’t able to make another run to get back in it in the closing minutes.
Washington State shot the ball from three-point range really well in the first half, going 7-12 from downtown, sending coach David Riley’s team into the break trailing 40-39.
Washington State Gets Blown Out By Gonzaga, Loses 83-53 in WCC Rematch
In a game that was never truly competitive, the Washington State Cougars landed on the wrong side of an ugly blowout to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, losing 83-53 on the road.
Coming into the matchup, it was clear the underdog Cougars would need to play a complete 40 minutes to have a chance against the Bulldogs on the road. Instead, it turned into one of their worst performances of the season against the wrong opponent.
From the opening tip, Gonzaga controlled the tempo and exposed Washington State on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Cougars struggled to find any rhythm. Their shooting was poor, and didn’t generate many high quality shots. Several early turnovers led directly to Gonzaga baskets, allowing the Bulldogs to build momentum quickly.
Washington State Seeking Season-Changing Upset at Gonzaga
After coming up short against Santa Clara on Saturday, the Washington State Cougars will travel to the McCarthy Center on Tuesday night to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs for an 8 PM PT showdown in Spokane.
Known as the “New Kennel,” the Cougars will walk into one of the toughest environments in college basketball against a Gonzaga team that has been anything but predictable lately.
Since losing Braden Huff to a knee injury in January, Gonzaga’s season has taken an interesting turn. The Bulldogs followed a quality win over Saint Mary’s with a shocking road loss to Portland, then bounced back by beating Oregon State in Corvallis. While Gonzaga is still searching for lineup consistency without Huff, one thing has remained constant: Graham Ike has been absolutely dominant.
Washington State Loses to Santa Clara, Dips Back Below .500 Mark in WCC
Unable to keep its winning streak intact, Washington State fell 96–92 to first-place Santa Clara on Saturday in a frustrating loss that summed up the Cougars’ inconsistent season. When the offense is clicking, the defense struggles, and when the defense tightens up, the offense disappears.
Unfortunately for Washington State, that imbalance showed up once again against the Broncos, dropping the Cougars to 11–15 overall and 6–7 in WCC play, tying them for fifth place in the conference standings.
Offensively, Washington State did plenty of things well on Saturday. The Cougars have now scored over 90 points in back-to-back home games, including a 100-plus point performance against Portland on January 31. Against Santa Clara, they shot the ball efficiently and with confidence, especially from beyond the arc. Washington State connected on 13 of 25 three-point attempts, a strong 52%, keeping them within striking distance throughout the game.
Second Half Struggles Doom Washington State Cougars in Loss to Oregon State
Letting a double-digit lead slip away in a disastrous final 20 minutes in Corvallis, the Cougars missed out on an excellent opportunity to make up ground in the WCC standings.
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