After back-to-back losses, WSU needed to get back on track, and a date with the 10th-place San Diego Toreros seemed like the perfect opportunity. However, the Cougs wound up needing a last-minute comeback to get past the Toreros, 65-61.
The first five minutes of the game went about as well for the Cougs as they could have hoped. The Cougars, as they often do, were hot out of the gate, quickly taking an 18-2 lead. From there, things went all downhill for WSU, as San Diego inexplicably fought back. The Toreros’ defense shut the Cougs down effectively, and just before halftime, it was USD who held a 27-25 lead. The Toreros finished the half on a 25-7 run.
In the second half, WSU found themselves getting into foul trouble but managed to hang around. USD extended their lead to seven, at one point up 42-35, but the Cougs never backed down. Despite having four fouls, Nate Calmese took over the game.
After a quiet first half in which he only scored five, Calmese had already scored 13 second-half points when he got the ball down 56-55 with 1:48 left. Calmese sunk a three to give the Cougs their first lead since the end of the first half, making it 58-56. On the next possession, Calmese found the net again to extend the lead to 60-56.
From there, the game would be decided by free-throws, and once again, it was Calmese who shined from the line. He went 4-4 from the line in the game’s final minute, preventing a Pacific-esque comeback from the Toreros.
Calmese finished the game with 27 points, two steals and four assists. He made three of eight threes and was 6-7 from the free-throw line.
LeJuan Watts fouled out of the game, and Ethan Price finished with three fouls. The Cougs play very physically on defense, which contributes to the amount of fouls they are called for.
On a radio interview after the game, head coach David Riley took ownership of the teams’ recent struggles.
“I haven’t done a good job of keeping our team in reality,” Riley said. “But the beauty of it is we found a way to win today. So that’s growth.”
With the win, the Cougars improve t0 14-5 this season, with a 4-2 record against the West Coast Conference. The Toreros drop to 4-15, and are 1-5 against WCC opponents.
The Cougars next take the court against Portland on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum.
