Offensive Explosion Guides Washington State to Blowout 87-70 Win vs. Pacific
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Washington State senior Simon Hildebrandt attempts a jump shot during a regular season game against the Pacific Tigers. Credit: Ashley Davis [/caption]
After what may have been their worst performance of the 2025–2026 season, the Washington State Cougars responded in emphatic fashion Wednesday night. The Cougars delivered arguably their most complete game of the year, knocking off the fourth-place Pacific Tigers 87–70 in a performance that showcased their ability to shoot the ball.
With the victory, Washington State now finds itself tied with Oregon State for fifth place in the West Coast Conference standings and sits just a half-game behind Pacific for the fourth spot. Considering how tightly packed the middle of the conference table is, Wednesday’s win could prove pivotal as the regular season winds down.
What stood out from the Cougs’ unexpected offensive onslaught?
For the first time seemingly all season, the offense and defense complemented one another for 40 minutes. The Cougars were solid defensively, holding the Tigers to 70 points on 43% shooting from the field and 38% from three-point range. On the flip side, Washington State shot an outstanding 58% from the field and a scorching 50% from beyond the arc, connecting on 14 of its 28 three-point attempts to ambush Pacific from downtown.
Four players finished in double figures for Washington State in a balanced attack led by Richards Vavers. Vavers poured in 21 points and was lethal from deep, knocking down five of his seven three-point attempts. ND Okafor added 15 points, providing a steady scoring presence inside with the hot shooting from outside spreading out Pacific’s defense from the paint.
Perhaps the most encouraging development for the Cougars was the return of Tomas Thrastarson from injury. Thrastarson contributed 11 points and looked comfortable back in the rotation after a lengthy absence. Having someone back that can not only score away from the basket but can make plays off the dribble helps open up things for the rest of the offense and he was a facilitator in his return to action.
Eemeli Yalaho chipped in 10 points, rounding out the double-digit scorers and continuing his steady play in conference competition. Adria Rodriguez may not have filled the stat sheet with points finishing with five. However, he added five assists and committed zero turnovers, and most imporantly, his defense and ability to manage the game once again showed up as positives in WCC play.
Beating a favored Pacific squad should be a massive boost for Washington State, especially doing so in such convincing fashion. With just three regular-season games remaining, every contest carries significant weight in the conference race, and there’s an outside shot to climb into the top four seeds for the conference tournament thanks to this massive victory.
The Cougars now turn their attention to a big Saturday matchup against Saint Mary's, who sits in two-way tie with Santa Clara for the second spot in the conference standings. The Gaels narrowly escaped with a 72–70 win over Seattle U on Wednesday.
