Takeaways: Washington State Secures First Win in 81-71 Victory vs. St. Thomas
Finding a rhythm back at their home arena, the Washington State Cougars defeated the St. Thomas Tommies 81–71 to earn their first win of the 2025-26 season and improve to 1–2 overall.
The final score made the game appear closer than it was, as the Tommies closed with a late 10–1 run to crawl within 10 points before the final horn. Still, it was a much-improved performance for the Cougars, who now turn their attention to a matchup with the Huskies on Friday.
After the game, Cougars coach David Riley said, “I thought it was a good game as we continue to build. We haven’t done a good job in the first two games of stringing together possessions, and I thought especially in the first half we did a good job of that.”
Far More Efficient Offense
Washington State’s offense took a big step forward against St. Thomas. The Cougars shot 51.9% from the field, 38.5% from three, and an impressive 93.8% from the free throw line, dramatic improvements from the first two losses to Idaho and Davidson. Beyond the numbers, their ball movement and tempo were noticeably better. The Cougars ran through their actions more decisively, leading to cleaner looks and a much better rhythm than in the loss to Davidson. With only three games under their belt, you can expect the Cougars to continue to get more comfortable and decisive in how they run their offense as the season progresses.
Outside of a brief offensive outburst against Idaho, this was Washington State’s most consistent showing on that end of the floor all season. The Cougars finished with an excellent 118.1 points per possession, easily their best performance thus far.
Riley emphasized that the team’s focus had been on simplifying the offense over the last couple days of practice.
“When you look at our team, there are a lot of guys in new roles. I think our guys were thinking way too much, and I needed to do a much better job of simplifying the game offensively — and that’s what we did the last couple of days.”
With only five returners from last year’s roster and most players adjusting to new roles, it’s natural that it will take time for this group to gel. Recognizing that and simplifying the system should help the Cougars build more confidence and cohesion moving forward.
Defensive Growth
Defensively, Washington State also showed significant progress, albeit against an inferior opponent. After struggling to string together stops in the first two games against the Vandals and Wildcats, the Cougars looked much sharper on that end of the court. Their defensive rotations were cleaner, leading to more contested shots and limiting St. Thomas’s second-chance opportunities — in fact, the Cougars allowed just one offensive rebound for the entire game.
By maintaining box outs and being aggressive on the boards, even with St. Thomas shooting north of 45% from the field, Washington State eliminated second chances off misses, putting itself in a strong position to control the game from the outset.
“We want to make sure we pick up our aggressiveness without losing our discipline,” Riley explained. “I thought we were aggressive against Davidson, but not disciplined, so we made it really clear how to correct that.”
Notable Performances
Tómas Thrástarson: Led the team with a career-best 19 points and added seven rebounds, with 18 of those points coming in the first half. Thrástarson’s four made three pointers also tied a career high. A quality shooter at 41.4% on limited attempts last season, teams are already respecting his shot, closing out harder and becoming less willing to leave him open on the three point line when help defense is needed. He has also done a good job using his strength to score inside and get to the foul line, already shooting 19-for-22 from the stripe on the young season.
Emmanuel Ugbo: Contributed 12 points and six rebounds, showing strength around the rim as well as growth as a shooter. His four made threes this season leave him just one shy of his total from all of last season. Ugbo has looked really confident early on, and with his combination of shooting ability and physicality, he presents a matchup problem for opponents.
Adrià Rodríguez: Had his best game as a Cougar, posting nine points, five rebounds, and four assists. He looked far more comfortable on both ends and did a great job getting into the paint and putting pressure on the rim. By driving the ball inside, Rodríguez not only created scoring opportunities for himself but also forced the defense to collapse and help, opening up looks for teammates.
Washington State responded well after a rough start to the new season, putting together its most complete effort so far. It was the first time the Cougars shot the ball well from three and also played their cleanest defensive game of the year, building a 19-point lead at one point in the second half. It’s a long season, and there will be ups and downs, but this was a promising glimpse of what this team could become heading into their matchup with the Huskies.
