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.