Washington State Loses to Santa Clara, Dips Back Below .500 Mark in WCC
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Washington State Cougars freshman guard Ace Glass shoots a three-point shot against the Santa Clara Broncos. Credit: Ashley Davis [/caption]
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.
The scoring effort was balanced, which has been a positive trend for the Cougars in recent games. Eemeli Yalaho led the way with an impressive 21-point performance, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range. Yalaho’s ability to score was crucial in keeping Washington State competitive against a Santa Clara team that entered the game atop the WCC standings.
Ace Glass was right behind him, contributing 20 points while knocking down 4-of-10 shots from deep. Glass’s perimeter shooting gave the Cougars a needed spark and opened up the floor for others to attack. ND Okafor and Rihards Vavers also made solid contributions, scoring 13 and 12 points respectively. Both players provided key baskets at different points in the game, helping Washington State keep pace in a high-scoring contest.
One of the more encouraging performances came from Adria Rodriguez, who has been doing an excellent job as a distributor in recent games. Rodriguez added a career-high 10 points to go along with his steady playmaking, continuing his development as a reliable guard for the Cougars. Coming into the season with high expectations Rodriguez has shown more in the last few games of the type of player the Cougar staff was hoping for.
Despite the strong offensive showing, however, shaky defense ultimately cost Washington State. Santa Clara found the bottom of the net of way too many open looks while shooting 56 percent from the field and 41% from three, especially in key moments. The Cougars struggled to get consistent stops when they needed them most, allowing Santa Clara to maintain control down the stretch and escape Pullman with the four-point victory.
Now, Washington State faces a tough road test as they travel to Spokane to take on an elite Gonzaga team on Tuesday. The Bulldogs are coming off a dominant 20-point win over Oregon State and previously defeated the Cougars by 21 points in Pullman on January 15. Gonzaga’s combination of offensive firepower with Graham Ike, who should be the WCC Player of the Year, will be a challenging test.
If the Cougars hope to pull off an upset, they will need a far more consistent performance than what they have shown so far this season with complementary basketball that has largely evaded them. That means finding a way to balance their strong offensive production with a more reliable defensive effort. Playing well on both sides of the ball for a full 40 minutes will be essential if Washington State wants to compete with one of the nation’s top teams.
