Washington State Men’s Basketball Exacts Revenge Against Seattle U
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The Cougars men’s basketball team avenged a loss to the Redhawks earlier in the season with a 70-58 victory. Credit: WSU Athletics [/caption]
Washington State men’s basketball got a measure of revenge on Wednesday night, knocking off Seattle University 70–58 in a game that showcased one of the Cougars’ most complete defensive performances of the season. The win avenged an earlier loss to the Redhawks, pushing Washington State to 10-13 overall and evening their West Coast Conference record at 5-5 — placing them fifth in the league standings as the season heads into February.
After struggling with consistency for much of the year, Washington State looked far more settled on both ends of the floor, particularly defensively, where the tone was set early and never really wavered.
The Cougars now turn their attention to Saturday’s matchup against Portland, a game that carries a bit of personal intrigue. Portland head coach Shantay Legans is a familiar face to Washington State head coach David Riley, who previously coached under Legans at Eastern Washington. That connection adds an extra layer to what is already an important WCC matchup for positioning and momentum.
Who Impressed
Rihards Vavers continued his strong stretch of play and was the clear standout for Washington State. The sophomore poured in 24 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, while also pulling down five rebounds.
Last season, Vavers was viewed primarily as a spot-up shooter. While he was excellent in that role — knocking down 47% of his threes on roughly three attempts per game — his impact was often limited by defensive concerns. This season, the shooting has remained a strength, as he’s still hitting 40% from deep on a much larger volume (6.1 attempts per game), but the biggest leap has come on the defensive end.
Vavers’ improved defense has been noticeable both on the court and in the numbers. His defensive box plus-minus has jumped from -2.6 a year ago to -0.2 this season, a significant improvement that has earned him more minutes and a larger role. That growth is huge, not just for Washington State, but for Vavers’ long-term development as a complete player rather than a one-dimensional shooter.
Freshman Ace Glass also continued to impress, finishing with 14 points. Glass has looked increasingly comfortable at the college level as the season has progressed, showing poise and scoring ability that bode well for the Cougars’ future. ND Okafor added a strong all-around performance of his own, recording 13 points and eight rebounds.
Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway, though, was Washington State’s defense. Despite struggling on that end at times this season, and even accounting for the fact that Seattle U is not an elite offensive team, the Cougars were excellent. Holding the Redhawks to just 34 percent shooting from the field and a staggering 14 percent from three-point range is an elite defensive effort by any standard.
When Washington State defends at that level, it gives itself a real chance to win every night. If the Cougars can carry that defensive intensity forward into Saturday’s matchup with Portland, they’ll be in a strong position to keep climbing in the WCC standings.
