The WSU men’s basketball team won a 91-89 overtime thriller against the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday behind a career-high effort from senior guard Charles Callison.

Both teams entered the game riding losing streaks of four-plus games and were in need of a Pac-12 win entering Saturday’s contest.

The story of the night was the play by Callison, as he erupted for a career-high 30 points and five steals on 12-of-16 shooting, in addition to connecting six times from behind the arc.

“We needed a win today and that’s what I tried to do for us,” Callison said. “I was just playing free and hooping.”

The Cougars also received quality contribution off the bench from sophomore guard Viont’e Daniels, who scored 12 points on four three-point baskets.

“I was just feeling good today,” Daniels said. “I was shooting all of my shots in rhythm.”

Even though he had trouble finding the bottom of the net, freshman guard Malachi Flynn still found a way to make a difference in the game, handing out six assists.

Colorado’s backcourt was as good as advertised, as senior guards Derrick White and Xavier Johnson combined for 40 points. White scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half to help Colorado send the game to overtime after trailing by double digits.

A key point in the game was at the seven-minute mark in the second half with the score knotted up at 61. Callison took matters into his own hands and scored nine unanswered points from deep on three-consecutive possessions, forcing the Buffaloes to call a timeout.

The Cougars looked to have the game wrapped up leading by 10 points with three minutes left in the game, but due to poor foul shooting down the stretch, Colorado was able to tie the game at 83 with seven seconds remaining and force overtime. WSU was 8-13 from the charity stripe in the game.

White knocked down a pair of free throws at the seven-second mark, and a desperation three-point attempt from Callison clanged off the front iron as the horn sounded.

The Cougars trailed 89-87 with 30 seconds remaining in overtime to prompt Head Coach Ernie Kent to burn a timeout and draw up an offensive set.

Coming out of a timeout, the Cougars ran a perfectly executed play to set up senior center Conor Clifford with a hook shot over one of the Pac-12’s leading shot blockers in Colorado, senior forward Wesley Gordon, to tie the game at 89.

“I had to have some parenting moments with Conor because defensively there were some lapses,” Kent said. “For him to take the chewing, sit on the bench and have his number called in overtime to tie the game, it shows how much growth he has as an individual.”

With the game even, Colorado freshman guard Bryce Peters missed a layup off the backboard, which resulted in a loose ball that WSU senior guard Ike Iroegbu came up with and took coast-to-coast for the go-ahead layup that sealed the victory.

“When I took the shot,” Iroegbu said, “I knew that this had to go in.”