The Cougars are no longer the team that lost to Idaho and were 6-6 heading into conference play. In a game that went down to the final seconds, the Cougars showcased the team’s new resolve Saturday afternoon as they downed the Huskies in front of their home crowd.

Washington State (8-7, 2-1 in Pac-12) defeated Washington (11-4, 0-3) 80-77 in a game that went down to the wire. The win was a big one for the Cougars, as they’re in the process of playing their best stretch of basketball so far this season, just in time for Pac-12 play. Head Coach Ernie Kent told reporters after the game he likes how far the team has come in just a short amount of time.

“I’m real proud of this team,” Kent said. “This was a team I was told couldn’t defend; the numbers told you that the last couple years. Couldn’t shoot it; the numbers told you that the last couple years. We took them and put our arms around them; we let them empty their backpack. I’m just happy for them that they’re coming of age right now.”

Kent found a way to avoid UW’s impactful big men Robert Upshaw and Shawn Kemp Jr. throughout the game, often playing with a four-guard lineup. The strategy worked well as the Huskies had no answer on the defensive end against the Cougars.

The game had a slow start for the Cougars as the Huskies led for most of the first half with sophomore guard Nigel Williams-Goss leading the way. However, the Cougars finished the first half strong in order to go into halftime all tied up at 37.

WSU took the lead with 17:24 left in the second half after sophomore guard Que Johnson collected his own miss and scored a lay-up, putting WSU up 47-45. Washington was able to hang in there until the 4:31 mark when guard Andrew Andrews put the Huskies back on top with a made free throw. The made free throw marked a 7-0 run for the Huskies.

However, WSU regained the lead as Johnson hit two free throws with 4:01 to play giving WSU a 69-68 lead. The free throws vaulted the Cougars into a 7-2 run of their own. The Cougars survived a late Husky rally after a last-second game-tying three-point attempt was no good.

Senior guard DaVonté Lacy led the Cougars with 25 points while adding four rebounds and an assist. He also hit six consecutive critical free throws at the end of the game while Washington attempted their comeback. Lacy said to reporters after the game on wsucougars.com that he felt responsible for the outcome of the game.

“I knew I was going to take them because I told myself, ‘If we’re going to win or lose, it’s going to be on my shoulders,’” Lacy said. “I am a senior and I am back home, so it had to be on my shoulders. I just stepped up and just did what I do best.”

Sophomore guard Ike Iroegbu put together another complete game securing five rebounds, dishing out five assists, and adding 13 points. Johnson scored 15 points for the Cougars on 5-of-9 shooting. Junior forward Brett Boese sunk 11 points, shooting 3-of-5 from three-point range. Sophomore forward Josh Hawkinson led the Cougars with 10 rebounds.

As a team, the Cougars shot 46 percent from the field while also hitting 9-of-23 three-pointers. The biggest key for WSU down the stretch was their free throw shooting as they made their final 14 free throw attempts, all with less than ten minutes to play in the second half.

Washington was led by Williams-Goss, who scored a season-high 30 points. Andrews and forward Shawn Kemp Jr. (son of former Seattle SuperSonics legend Shawn Kemp) added 12 points of their own to help aid the Huskies.

Washington has now lost four consecutive games, including its first three Pac-12 conference games after starting the year 11-0.

The Cougars moved above .500 for the first time this season and have won four out of their last five contests. WSU is 2-1 in Pac-12 play to start the year after splitting games against Stanford and California last weekend. Iroegbu said the team is headed in the right direction in an interview with the Pac-12 Networks after the game.

“We just wanted to come out here and just play hard,” Iroegbu said. “We know we did a good job last week when we were at Cal (California) so we just came up here with the same attitude, just shared the ball, just played hard and it took care of itself.”

The win marked the first time the Cougars have beaten the Huskies in Seattle since Feb. 2011. Lacy said it was a satisfying feeling to reporters after the game.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say it means a little extra,” Lacy said.

WSU will return home this Thursday looking to carry their momentum against a talented Oregon Ducks team. This will mark the first time Head Coach Ernie Kent will have the opportunity to play against his former school before coming to WSU. The game can be seen at 8 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.