The Washington State University men’s basketball team won in simple fashion, 80-50 against the San Francisco State Gators, Wednesday night in Kennewick.

The Gators (4-2) started the game by attacking the Cougars (6-4) down low in post and edged out to a one-point lead with less than eight minutes left in the first half.

However, the WSU big men made the adjustment and were able to defend the low post for the rest of the game, forcing the Gators to shoot from behind the three-point line.

“I think we did adjust, and that’s what it takes,” WSU men’s basketball Head Coach Ken Bone said. “I think our guys are doing a better job at that.”

The Cougars held the Gators to 35 percent shooting on the night and had three blocks.

“We kind of had to be a pass ahead (on defense),” WSU redshirt senior forward D.J. Shelton said.

Early in the first half, the Cougars struggled to figure out San Francisco State’s zone defense, but WSU junior guard DaVonte Lacy helped break the Gators’ defense by making multiple three-pointers toward the end of the first half.

Lacy finished the first half hitting four three-pointers and scoring 18 points. Lacy scored four more points in the second half and finished the night with a team-high 22 points, his efficient shooting helped WSU hold a a 12-point lead at halftime.

The Cougars continued to attack the Gators from behind the three-point line for the remainder of the game. 

WSU finished the night hitting 12 out of 34 three-pointers. In addition to the quality of shooting from the three-point line, the Cougars also made their presence known in the rebounding department.

WSU outrebounded San Francisco State by 28 and had 19 offensive rebounds. Shelton led the team with 11 boards.

“He’s kind of taking that role (of being a warrior on the boards) and running with it,” Bone said. “He continues to bring good effort.”

The win against San Francisco State is the Cougars’ third consecutive win since their loss to Saint Joseph’s in early December. WSU will look to continue their winning streak when the team faces off against UTEP on Saturday in Pullman.