Washington State Cougars On SI

LeJuan Watts' Career Night Pushes Washington State Hoops Past San Francisco

Joe Londergan

Jan 4, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars forward LeJuan Watts (4) attempts a basket against San Francisco Dons center Saba Gigiberia (10) in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Washington State Cougars won 91-82. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Jan 4, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars forward LeJuan Watts (4) attempts a basket against San Francisco Dons center Saba Gigiberia (10) in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Washington State Cougars won 91-82. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington State Cougars took down the San Francisco Dons 91-82 on Saturday night. The win preserves their undefeated record in WCC play (3-0), moving them to 13-3 overall on the season.

A driving force in the win was the play of LeJuan Watts, who scored a career-high 24 points with 12 rebounds and five assists. That performance marked Watts' sixth double-double of the season.

"The kid's been working his tail off," Cougs' head coach David Riley said of his sophomore forward who followed him to Pullman from Eastern Washington. "He's always been a talented player. He's had big games last year, he's had big games this year, and the big thing we're working on with with him is is just showing that poise and and showing his true character throughout the game...He's a heck of a player, and dang look at his stat line: 24 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, just one turnover those are some winning numbers."

Each member of the Cougars' starting lineup scored in double figures. That was enough to fend off the Dons, despite 34 points from San Francisco senior guard Malik Thomas. 27 of Thomas' points came in the first half. Thomas became the first player to score 30 points or more against the Cougs this season.

WSU will return to action on January 9 against Pacific at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 PM PT on ESPN+.

More Reading Material From Washington State Cougars On SI

Washington State WR Kyle Williams Earns All-America Nod From Phil Steele

Top 5 Touchdowns from the 2024 Washington State Football Season

College and NFL Coaches Offer Ringing Endorsements For New Washington State Head Coach Jimmy Rogers

Published
Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.

Home/Men's Basketball