The Cougars were on the ropes and one knockout punch away from losing their seventh straight game to their bitter rival, the Washington Huskies. The Huskies (13-9, 5-4) went on a 15-9 run to open up the second half against the Cougars which helped them edge to an eight point lead with 13:40 left in the game. It seemed as if the Cougars would let another game slip away in the second half. The 5,796 fans in attendance at Beasley Coliseum continued to cheer even though their team was on the verge of collapsing.

The support of the crowd helped the Cougars get back on their feet and make a run. Down eight points, WSU immediately turned on the switch and went on a 23-7 run.

 “The crowd was great,” WSU senior forward DJ Shelton said. “Beasley was really good tonight, we felt the energy early and I think that’s what really pushed us and got us going in the second half.”

The 23-7 run helped the Cougars pull ahead by a score of 52-45 with 6:34 left in the game. The Huskies did all they could to get back in the game. UW freshman guard Nigel Williams-Goss hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to seven points with 2:35 left in the game.

Momentum shifted in Washington’s direction. The student section continued to cheer their team on. The fans were rewarded for their loud cheering when WSU junior guard DaVonte Lacy hit a three-pointer in the corner to give the Cougars a 10-point lead and kill the momentum of the Huskies.

“(The students) were rocking with me,” Lacy said. “I can feel the energy, every shot I took I feel like they were just ready to explode, so I feel like that shot was for them. They stick with me and they stick with the team.”

With the help of the crowd the Cougars prevailed in a 72-67 victory over the Huskies, resulting in the Cougars’ second Pac-12 win of the season.

“We were going downhill and we kept talking about we just need that one game,” Lacy said. “That one game to just turn things around and I think this is the game.”

After missing the last six games because of a rib injury, Lacy didn’t just suit up for the Cougars. He started and played 33 minutes, scoring 10 points.

Along with the help of the fans, the return of Lacy helped the Cougars win their first game against Washington in over three years.

“It’s not just the numbers (Lacy) puts up, it’s just his presence,” WSU men’s basketball Head Coach Ken Bone said. “We know we got a good player who’s confident, who’s a leader and it showed up many, many times during the course of the game and timeouts, huddles on the court, halftime in the locker room, he’s one of those guys that keeps the team together.”

Without their captain this season, the Cougars struggled, losing five out of their last six games.

“(Having Lacy back) just opens up so much more for us, on the floor, teams going to have to focus on him, me, Que and Dexter so we just got a lot threats out there,” Shelton said. “We’re shooting the ball really well right now, so teams are going to have to find a way to stop us offensively.”

Shelton continued his dominance by scoring 20 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in the win against the Huskies.

“He’s been playing good ball,” Bone said. “Tonight’s game was similar to the games he had last week against the Oregon schools. He’s playing well, being a senior it’s great to see because he’s put a lot of time and effort into it, he’s really working hard and it’s nice to see him getting rewarded with good games.”

Bone also commented on the crowd and their role in the game against UW.

“I thought it was good, I’ve seen better but I’ve seen worse,” Bone said. “We’ve got to go win some games on the road, it can’t just be one win over Washington and fans are going to come out and support us, We need to be able to go on the road go to Utah and Colorado next and play well and win some games.”

WSU will travel to Boulder, Colo. on Wednesday to take on the Colorado Buffaloes (16-6, 5-4) at 6:30 p.m. which will be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Networks.