The WSU men’s basketball team got off to a slow start against Central Washington University, but was able to come back and win due to a second-half run.

WSU (2-0, 0-0) was able to outlast the Wildcats for an 81-76 win in Kennewick at the Toyota Center on Tuesday in what could’ve been a potential upset early on this season.

The Cougars got off to a very slow start, letting the Wildcats get as much as a 10-point lead in the first half.

CWU’s sophomore guard Naim Ladd and senior guard Dom Hunter proved to be a problem for the Cougars, generating a combined 19 first-half points. Ladd and Hunter ended the night with 38 points between the two of them.

Junior center Fuquan Niles was also a key factor in the game for the Wildcats, as he contributed with a double-double consisting of 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Wildcats.

For the Cougs, getting the big men involved in the game will become more of a focus for the team.

“We need to focus on getting Conor (Clifford) and Josh (Hawkinson) more touches,” WSU Head Coach Ernie Kent said in a press conference on Monday.

The Cougs struggled down low Tuesday night as the Wildcats out-rebounded the Cougs 42-35, despite a disadvantage in size. Senior forward Hawkinson and redshirt senior center Clifford combined for 20 shot attempts. Hawkinson ended the game with his 42nd career double-double.

The Cougs went into the locker room at the breakdown by six. They came into the second half with a small ball lineup, sitting Clifford and inserting sophomore guard Viont’e Daniels into the lineup. This adjustment led to a WSU 13-0 run to start the second half and the Cougs never looked back from that point on.

Senior guard Ike Iroegbu was a big part of the success after halftime, exploding for 14 second-half points. Freshman guard Malachi Flynn also added 10 points in the half and ended the night with 18.

WSU upped its defensive intensity in the second half by holding the Wildcats to 31 percent shooting (13-41). This played a big part in getting the Cougs back in the lead.

The Cougs will head to the U.S. Virgin Islands this Friday for the Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament where they will take on No. 22 ranked Creighton. Live updates of the game can be found at www.wsucougars.com.