Wildcats rout Cougars in Beasley Coliseum

Wildcats went on 18-2 run in first half to pull away from Cougars

WSU+junior+forward+Robert+Franks+pushes+past+Arizona+freshman+forward+Deandre+Ayton+on+Wednesday.

George Rodriguez | The Daily Evergreen

WSU junior forward Robert Franks pushes past Arizona freshman forward Deandre Ayton on Wednesday.

SAM HEIKELL, Evergreen reporter

WSU basketball was dominated in every faucet of the game in their 100-72 loss to the No. 9 ranked University of Arizona on Wednesday.

“That is one of the more dominant teams in all of college basketball,” WSU Head Coach Ernie Kent said.

The Cougars opened up in a zone defense, but that didn’t stop Arizona from getting the ball inside to their big men. The spotlight was on Arizona freshman forward Deandre Ayton, who is a potential number one pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Ayton had a double-double by halftime, and finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, causing problems for the WSU’s defense all night.

WSU junior forward Robert Franks got off to a hot start, nailing a pair of threes and getting to the line early. He was the only steady source of offense for the Cougars all night, scoring 25 points.

WSU came out the gates firing away, but Arizona went on an 18-2 run late in the first half and there was no looking back.

The Cougars offense had a hard time getting any sort of momentum, especially with Arizona’s athletic defense and their two seven footers down low to alter shots.

The WSU defense had no luck in stopping the Wildcats’ offense, as they were able to get any kind of shot that they wanted. Arizona’s inside and out offense created space for a lot of open shooters, where they shot nearly 60 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Arizona junior guard Alonzo Trier was 4-4 on three-pointers, tallying up 24 points and five rebounds on the night.

With the loss, the Cougars extend their losing streak to four games. They will take on No. 24 Arizona State University at home on Sunday.