The last weekend of November was a time of sweet and sour apples on the Palouse as Karly Basham and Cougar volleyball swept the Huskies in a sold-out Bohler Gym; Cam Ward and Cougar football went toe-to-toe with an electric Michael Penix Jr.-led University of Washington football team (until about midway through the third quarter when UW ran away with the 51-33 win).

As a cheery on top of sweet Apple pie, WSU men’s basketball scored more 3-pointers in a game than they ever have before in their 96-54 offensive clinic Friday in Beasley Coliseum.

Relive an incredible Apple Cup weekend through the eyes of Evergreen columnist Brandon Willman.

Thirty-one hours. Two Apple Cups. One Story

WSU volleyball

Following a decisive Apple Cup sweep, No. 24 WSU volleyball leapfrogged UW in the Pac-12 standings and in the rankings on their way to their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

The Cougs faced the Mountain West runner-up University of Nevada Las Vegas Thursday.

WSU volleyball earns seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid

More WSU volleyball from Evergreen volleyball beat writer Brandon Willman.

Four Cougs make Pac-12 All-Conference team Cougs pounce on puppies of UW 

One last ride for WSU volleyball 

Golden, Jehlarova, Ryan named to CSC Academic team

 WSU football

On Saturday, a sold-out Martin Stadium and a 7:30 p.m. ESPN audience experienced the highest-scoring Apple Cup of all time.

It was a shootout from the start with UW and WSU trading touchdowns after Dean Janikowski got the Cougs on the board first with a 54-yard field goal.

The Cougs needed every fiber in their being to hang in there with an electric Heisman-contending-led UW offense. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. *second reference -TD is truly on another level but head coach Jake Dickert and QB Cam Ward *second reference -TD challenged the Huskies with some gutsy play calls and performances.

The Cougs went for it on fourth down six times and converted on four occasions.

One was a fake punt in which punter Nick Haberer lobbed a beautiful vertical pass to Daiyan Henley for the first down to keep the drive alive.

The next particularly gutsy call came on fourth and 10, when the Cougar offense ran a play and Ward found his former Incarnate Word teammate Robert Ferrel down the field for not just the first down, but the touchdown.

In the second half, the Cougs repeated their familiar sins of scoring single digits points (six) and allowing the offense to run over them for 23 more points.

The Cougs entered halftime down by one, 28-27 and had the game at a 35-33 UW advantage as late as the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately, the Cougs lost. There are a lot of people involved in game day that just experienced their final game day at Martin Stadium in their present roles. Shout out to all of the seniors, not just on the football team but in WSU Spirit, the Crimson Girls, football employees and interns, production assistants and the wonderful people in the Cougar Marching Band.

Thank you, seniors

Check out more WSU football coverage from Trevor Junt, Evergreen deputy sports editor.

WSU women’s basketball suffered their first loss Nov. 18 in Hawaii but fought hard against a talented Troy team to win the North Shore Showcase.

Hosting South Dakota State, the resigning Women’s National Invitational Tournament champion, the Cougs played stout defense and got the 20-point win.

Check out more WSU women’s basketball coverage from yours truly.

After WSU men’s basketball lost to Prairie View A&M, most fans thought all was lost. However, the Cougars held the treadmills before and after turkey day to blow their two opponents out of the water.

WSU’s 82-56 and 96-54 annihilations of Eastern Washington and Detroit Mercy respectively gave Cougar fans hope. That was tested Thursday night in Eugene, Oregon in the Cougs early Pac-12 Conference opener versus the Oregon Ducks.

Read more men’s basketball coverage from Evergreen reporter Hayden Stinchfield.

WSU swimming is jumping head-first into the U.S. Open. Here is how their previous meets went from Parker Schafer, Evergreen swimming reporter.

WSU swimming ready for US Open

Track and field begin their season soon. Hear how two runners achieve great things on track and in the classroom from Alena Rinehardt, Evergreen track and field reporter.

Track and Field student-athletes surpass expectations in every way

WSU has had a club wrestling team for 10 years. However, in recent years it has considerably grown. Evergreen reporter Gabrielle Bowman tells the story of WSU men’s wrestling.

Turkey and football are synonymous. But why? Evergreen columnist Erick Aguilar can tell you.

The MLB may expand soon. Evergreen columnist Brandon Willman has an argument for why they should choose Portland, Oregon.

Evergreen columnist Daylon Hicks reflects on his favorite memories at WSU.

Daylon Daily: The Memories

“Sports Management Capstone projects are as diverse as the students they wish to engage with on campus. This one in particular, though, could almost be described as alien-like,” Evergreen reporter Emmett-Walter Bryz-Gornia wrote.

How a game of tag could be more than just a game of tag

More Evergreen columns

A history of two tumultuous baseball executives 

Erick’s Hardwood Hypothesis week seven

Rivalry week brings exhilarating college football action 

Mickey Mantle: a G.O.A.T debate

That is all for this week. Good luck with finals and if you are sick like many people I know, get well soon. Thank you for reading and go Cougs!