WSU men’s basketball (14-6, 5-4 Pac-12) played Utah (14-6, 5-4 Pac-12) in Pullman Wednesday night. They won, splitting the season series with a team that has given them trouble in the past.
The last time these teams matched up, the game was nearly tied at halftime.
About ten minutes into the second half, the Utah lead was just 48-44. In the last 15 minutes of the game, Utah went on a 46-18 run and won by 22.
This time around, things were different. The Cougs took a 12-10 lead on a Myles Rice jumper with just over 13 minutes left in the first half. They did not go down again for the remainder of the game.
Despite that, Utah managed to keep it close for much of the game. The Cougs led 33-30 at halftime, and it felt like anyone’s game. A string of Utah jumpers countered a Coug run to start the half, and with 15 minutes left, it was a two-point game, the score sitting at 43-41.
At this point in the last game, Utah caught on fire and pulled ahead. The Cougs were ready this time, and Utah floundered offensively as the Cougar defense focused entirely on preventing the three-point barrage that Utah was hoping for.
The Cougar offense had no significant drought in this game, and as they held Utah down defensively they also managed to reliably score on the other end.
The final score was 79-57. A 22-point win, identical in difference to the loss from December.
Five Cougs, every starter, scored in double figures in this game.
Leading the team was Isaac Jones, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Following him were Andrej Jakimovski with 14 and Oscar Cluff and Jaylen Wells with 13 each.
Finally, the last in double-figures was Rice. He had only 10 points on two-of-nine shooting, modest for him, but also had six assists and seven rebounds.
An off night for Rice? Maybe in the box score, but head coach Kyle Smith does not see it that way.
“I don’t look at Myles’s field goal percentage or anything to determine if he plays well. It’s his decision-making,” Smith said. “Six assists and one turnover is the most important stat for the position he plays.”
Electrifying the Cougs off the bench was freshman Isaiah Watts, who had his best game of the season Wednesday.
“This kid is like an energy magnet,” Jones said. “He really thinks he’s Steph. Miss or make, he doesn’t care.”
Watts made three jumpers in a span of just over two minutes. Two of them were 3-pointers, and they served to jumpstart the offense into the rhythm that they closed the game with.
“He brings the energy and he’s a good shooter,” Jakimovski said. “He gave us a good spark off the bench and it was really helpful.”
Watts, Jones and the rest of the Cougs play next against Colorado.
The Cougs lost to the Buffaloes the last time they played. However, that was also the case with Utah, and they managed to recover and win against them this time. Now, the Cougs will look to split the season series with another high-level tournament hopeful.
The game will tip-off at 2 p.m. Saturday in Beasley Coliseum and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
