Cougars MBB Take First Loss of Season Against Iowa, 76-66

Washington State fell to the Hawkeyes at the Quad City Hoops Classic in Moline, Illinois in a tough-fought game.

Feb 16, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch performs before a men s basketball game against the Oregon State Beavers at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Friday night, David Riley's Cougars took their first loss of the season in the Quad City Hoops Classic against the Iowa Hawkeyes, 76-66. They held a 36-33 halftime lead, and the game was close down to the final three minutes before Iowa broke it open in the final stretch. After the Cougars pulled ahead 62-60 with 3:26 left on the clock, the Hawkeyes were able to put together a 16-4 run and secure the 10-point victory.

In a game that finished with a much lower score than experts projected, as the pregame total was nearly 170 according to Vegas, very few players shot efficiently – Washington State's Cedric Coward was just 3-for-10 shooting, while Iowa's Payton Sandfort was 5-for-15.

For the Cougars, it was Nate Calmese who torched the opposing defense for 27 points on 12-for-22 from the field, though he was just 1-for-5 on three-pointers. As a unit, Washington State shot a putrid 17% from deep on 28 attempts, and not a single player hit more than one shot from beyond the arc.

Iowa's leading scorer, Owen Freeman, had 21 points on 9-for-15 and collected 11 boards, which led all players. LeJuan Watts had 10 and Cedric Coward had eight, and despite the loss, the Cougars retained an edge on the glass, as they have in each of their four games this season.

The teams combined for 13 total threes on 50 attempts, a far cry from the expected outcome between two teams that have demonstrated shotmaking prowess throughout the season. The Cougars entered the game shooting 37% from deep, with Iowa shooting 41%. It was combination of improved perimeter defense as well as each team simply being unable to convert on good looks.

While the loss may sting for the Washington State faithful, it is by no means an indictment on the team's future. Iowa is almost certainly a tournament team due to their offensive potency, and there is no shame in taking a loss to a team with as high a ceiling as Iowa has. Though they obviously would have liked to have played a better final three minutes, the Cougars are still in prime position to compete in the West Coast Conference this season overall.

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