An 11-0 start and a 24-1 run in the second half helped the Cougars roll to a 91-82 win over the University of San Francisco Dons.
WSU (13-3) is off to its best start since the 2006-07 season and is now 5-3 against Quad 1 and 2 opponents. San Francisco (13-4) gave the Cougars a tough fight, but Wazzu prevailed.
Following a pattern of past WSU games, officiating played a key role, as both Nate Calmese of WSU and Malik Thomas of USF fouled out of the game in the second half. LeJaun Watts also received his first technical foul of the season.
Despite the foul trouble, the Cougs stayed competitive and did not let things get away with them. In front of a good home crowd, they opened up on an 11-0 run. That lead quickly disappeared, thanks to Thomas. The USF guard scored 27 points in the first half, and helped propel the Dons to an eight-point lead with seven minutes to go in the first half.
Wazzu did not let up the fight, pulling back to within one at halftime, when they trailed 49-48 in what was shaping up to be a high-scoring affair.
In the second half, the Cougs struggled at first but hung around long enough to take control. Finding themselves down 66-61, the Cougs reeled off their best scoring stretch of the season, going on a 24-1 run that lasted over five minutes. Fueled by Dane Erikstup, who hit his fifth three-pointer of the game, the Wazzu offense was unstoppable, and the defense came through with key turnovers.
By the time USF finally got on the board with a three, it was too late. The Cougars slowed things down and cruised to finish with a nine-point win over one of the better teams they have played all season.
“Our guys did a great job for 40 minutes being mentally tough,” said head coach David Riley.
Watts put together a double-double, scoring 24 points while adding 12 rebounds and five assists.
“Those are some winning numbers,” said Riley. “The kid’s been working his tail off…showing that poise, and showing his true character throughout the game.”
Watts stepped up big time, but stayed humble after the game and gave credit to his teammates. He noted that between injuries and Calmese fouling out, they needed everyone to step up, including Parker Gerrits, who played 16 minutes and contributed two points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
“Parker stepped up for sure,” said Watts. “Injuries have been affecting us, but everyone has a role.”
Ethan Price had a big game himself, scoring 20 points while putting up three assists and four steals. He thanked the crowd for their energy.
“That place was jumping for about five or six minutes,” he said, referencing the 24-1 scoring run.
He also said the way the team was able to pull off the big scoring run was by “locking in defensively.”
“I feel like going into these games, we know we can score,” said Price.
With the win, the Cougars are now 3-0 against the WCC. They are one of just three undefeated teams in the conference, alongside Gonzaga (3-0) and Saint Mary’s (4-0) who are currently in first place.
