In a spectacle that every other Pac-12 school, particularly WSU thoroughly enjoyed, Gonzaga beat No. 9 Stanford by 18 points, 96-78 Dec. 3.

No. 2 UCLA, No. 6 USC, No. 8 Colorado and No. 11 Utah continue to dominate their competition and WSU was back in the top 25 at No. 21, but fell to unofficial No. 27 after the now unofficial No. 26 UW Huskies beat them 60-55 in Pullman, Sunday in the season’s first Pac-12 Conference game.

No. 2 UCLA (9-0)

One year removed from losing the Pac-12 Championship to WSU, the Bruins appear to be legitimate National title contenders. With ranked wins over then-No. 6, now-No. 17 UConn (78-67 Nov. 24) and then-No. 20 now-No. 22 Flordia State (95-78, Dec. 10) UCLA has commanded the college basketball world’s respect.

Stanford transfer Lauren Betts has blazed her trail as the statistical leader of UCLA in multiple respects. The sophomore is averaging 17 points and grabbing 9.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore Kiki Rice seems to have improved in year two with 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and a team-leading 6.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

UCLA’s next test is a 3:30 p.m. Monday match with No. 12 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.

No. 6 USC (8-0)

Across Hollywood from the Bruins, the Trojans are paying an entertaining brand of basketball that stars basketball’s best freshman: JuJu Watkins.

The Trojans opened their season with a practical effect boom that would make LucasFilm proud, an 83-74 victory over then-No. 7 now-No. 12 Ohio State. Since then, USC has won every game except one by 10 or more points. In their most gritty game, the Trojans held the Penn State Nitty Lions scoreless for the last 2:15 of the game to overcome a 6-point deficit and win 71-70 on the road.

Watkins is the second-leading scorer in the country at 27.3 points per game. The freshman from Los Angeles has put on a show for her hometown. She has not scored fewer than 15 points in a game and has scored 27 or more points in five of her first eight career games and 30+ in four games.

No. 8 Colorado (8-1)

After dethroning the reigning National Champion and then-No. 1 LSU 92-78 to open the season, the Buffaloes stumbled in their lone other ranked game, losing to then No. 10, now No. 3 NC State, 78-60 in preseason tournament play.

No. 9 Stanford (8-1)

In its worst loss in four years, then and now No. 9 Stanford lost to the West Coast Conference’s now No. 21 Gonzaga Bulldogs, Dec. 3 in Spokane. The Zags beat Stanford 96-78 behind 27 each from Yvonne Ejim and Brynna Maxwell, 15 points from Maud Huijbens, and 10 each from Kaylynne Truong and Eliza Hollingsworth. 

Cameron Brink gave the Cardinal both of their leads in the opening minutes with a 3-pointer and a layup before the Zags contained her to 5 more points for the remainder of the first half. Brink did not return to the game in the second half because of illness and Gonzaga quintupled their 4-point halftime lead to a 20-point lead after three quarters in a game they would win by 18.

While Stanford was shorthanded in a major way this game, a top 10 team losing to a team Wazzu beat 77-72 in overtime in November is exactly what it is. A great thing for WSU’s tournament resume and a bode of confidence for Pac-12 Conference play.

Cardinal fans hope the Gonzaga loss is an anomaly. The results suggest it might be. Stanford beat now-No. 15 Indiana 96-64, Nov. 12 and beat now-No. 22 Flordia State 100-88, Nov. 24. 

The AP voters seem to understand the shorthanded circumstances of Stanford’s loss as they have maintained their top 10 ranking. The Cardinal do not play again until Friday when they host the team that beat Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Championship, the reigning WCC Champion Portland.

No. 11 Utah (8-2)

The Utes’ schedule has featured a slew of smaller schools, their state neighbors BYU and two ranked opponents. The Utes dropped both ranked contests, losing to then-No. 21 now-No. 10 Baylor 84-77 and No. 1 South Carolina 78-69. The Utes have scored 100 points four times. Their worst offensive performance was against the No. 1 team in the county.

Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili is fifth in the nation in scoring with 24.6 points per game and scored 37 points against South Carolina, the No. 1 team in the nation. The Utes lost by fewer than 10 points to both the No. 1 and No. 10 teams, keeping them just out of the top 10 at No. 11.

RV UW (10-0, 1-0 Pac-12)

The Huskies are one of four undefeated Pac-12 teams and their latest victory is their biggest yet. UW beat its first eight opponents by an average of 29.5 points. They were tested for the first time all season at home versus Montana State, a game they won 55-50. They walked into Pullman for the first Pac-12 Conference game of the season and shocked the college basketball world, but perhaps no one more than the Cougs themselves. 

WSU and UW played sluggish offense in the first quarter, but the Huskies took advantage of the Cougars’ making just one of their 15 shots to lead 10-2. They led by 20 at the half before WSU mounted a comeback that came within two points in the final minutes of the game. UW broke away with fouls and won 60-55.

The win earned the Huskies 25 AP Top 25 votes, putting them as the unofficial official best-unranked team in the nation, effectively No. 26.

RV WSU (10-2, 0-1 Pac-12)

The Cougs fell out of the top 25 for the second time this session behind another dreadful loss in which Ethridge said the team lacked the “intensity” to win. The Cougs dropped their final game of the Cancun Challenge 59-48 to Green Bay (a team that is still receiving three AP Top 25 votes) and lost 60-55 to UW at home.

The Cougs seemed to play with more intensity in the second half versus UW as they rallied from down 20 to trail by just 2, but could not complete the comeback. 

Charlisse Leger-Walker, the Pac-12 second-leading scorer from the previous season scored 11 points and is averaging 12.8 points per game with what would be a career-low 20.8% mark from beyond the arc.

The Cougs lost their ranking, but retained votes following their 60-55 loss to their in-state rival. WSU earned 23 AP Top 25 votes, placing them directly behind UW who received 25 votes.

WSU hosts Houston in the battle of the Cougars at 2 p.m. Sunday at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman.

Oregon State (7-0)

The Cougars’ “partners in court” as Glenn Johnson might call them are doing rather well for themselves on the basketball court. The Beavers are one of four undefeated teams in the conference. Raegan Beers has lit up the scoreboard with 19.1 points per game. OSU has played a lot of small schools but will host Santa Clara at 6 p.m. Friday.

California (8-2)

The Golden Bears lost to Texas A&M by 14 but lost by eight to then No. 23 now No. 21 Gonzaga 78-70. Texas A&M game aside, they have not scored fewer than 67 points.

Arizona (7-2)

Losses to ranked Ole Miss and unranked UNLV have set the Wildcats back from their ranked status of previous years, but that has not stopped head coach Adia Barnes’ squad from scoring fewer than 61 in each game they have won. The Wildcats face No. 5 Texas at 6 p.m. Wednesday. 

Arizona State (7-3)

The Sun Devils have lost a game they want back to Grambling State 70-67, lost by 16 to Grand Canyon and gotten blown out 84-42 by top-five Texas. ASU, like a lot of teams in the cellular of their conference, lacks a difference maker, although senior Jaddan Simmons is doing her best with 13.6 points per game and a 42% shooting clip.

Oregon (7-3)

All the Nike money in the world could not help the Ducks play defense. They have gotten blown out in each of their losses (89-50 by Santa Clara, 91-60 by Portland and 71-51 by top-10 Baylor).

Sophomore Grace Vanslooten averages nearly a double-double with 16.2 points and nine rebounds per game.

Games to watch this week: 

No. 5 Texas @ Arizona 6 p.m. Wednesday Pac-12 Network

Portland @ No. 9 Stanford 7 p.m. Friday Pac-12 Network

Houston @ RV WSU 2 p.m. Sunday at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman

No. 2 UCLA @ No. 12 Ohio St. 7 p.m. Monday FS1