[ad_1]
Even in Washington State’s best performances early in the season, during the Cougar men’s solid start to the year, they left one question unanswered: How would they fare against better competition?
WSU started the year 8-1, but with wins over the likes of Grambling State, UC Riverside and Eastern Washington, all of which rank in the 200s in the NCAA NET rankings, it felt fair to wonder about the start. Were the Cougars winning because they had the tools to make it last, or because they were playing overmatched competition?
With a 69-61 loss to Santa Clara (No. 137 NET) Saturday in Phoenix, the jury is still out on that question. Washington State didn’t look like the same team that came in riding a six-game winning streak.
“They made that run in the first half, and that’s the first time we really faced any real adversity. Kind of kicked us in the teeth,” WSU coach Kyle Smith said on the radio after the game. “We actually started to get some stops at the end of that first half, but defensively, they played a little differently. But smart way to play us. They really covered down our bigs and we didn’t make them pay.”
The Cougars (8-2) couldn’t complete their comeback, including a 10-0 run late in the second half, in large part because their offense sputtered for most of the game. WSU shot just 33% for the game. It made 7 of 26 shots from beyond the arc. Redshirt freshman Myles Rice came alive late with back-to-back three-pointers, totaling 12 points, but because of foul trouble, he never got going – and his team’s offense suffered for it.
According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, Rice had to fly back to Atlanta during the week for his three-month checkup after recovering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a doctor’s appointment that went smoothly.
“It’s a little fatigue, maybe,” Smith said.
Washington State drew within five points with a little more than a minute to play, thanks to a side-step three-pointer from Rice on the previous possession, but that’s about when the Cougars’ rally sputtered. Rice tried to drive to the basket, but he ran into teammate Jabe Mullins, resulting in a turnover and giving the ball back to Santa Clara, which sank 1 of 2 free throws.
On the other end, the Cougars pushed the ball upcourt, where forward Isaac Jones dunked for his 16th and final points of the game. He was forced to foul on the other end to stop the clock, and Washington State’s comeback bid ended there.
“We played much better in the second half. We competed better, for sure,” Smith said. “I thought Isaac really got on the glass. Andrej (Jakimovski) competed. Kymany (Houinsou) did a really good job defensively.”
WSU did play better in the second half, with a 38-30 edge, but the Cougars lamented the first half. In the first 20 minutes, Santa Clara had a 23-1 run to vault ahead 35-17. That’s when WSU’s offense hit a low point. The Broncos walled off the Cougars’ post players, their biggest source of offense this season, and WSU didn’t have many other options.
Jakimovski led the Cougars with 16 points, but he needed 16 shots, including a 1-for-5 mark from distance. He added nine rebounds and had several key baskets in the second half, but with Jakimovski and Rice both out of sorts, Washington State didn’t know where to turn.
Down low? Nothing there. Outside? Shots weren’t falling. Santa Clara dared WSU to score from the perimeter, which the Cougars have rarely needed to do this winter, and they came up short.
It also amounted to the first time the Cougars really felt the absence of guard Joseph Yesufu, who remains out with a hip injury. This was his fourth missed game. Smith said last week he has no timetable for Yesufu’s return. It hurts WSU because, as evidenced by the loss, it will need some perimeter scoring when its forwards are neutralized. WSU’s Jaylen Wells was held to 1-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers.
“We just got our bubble popped a little bit,” Smith said. “We bounced back, but credit to them. They played a slower pace. They were deliberate with the lead. They took care of the ball, which they haven’t been able to do, and we’re not great at necessarily forcing turnovers.”
WSU returns to action Thursday, facing Boise State at the Arena in a neutral-site game. That’s the Cougars’ last game before getting a break for the holidays.
[ad_2]
