Washington State MBB Cruises to Victory over Idaho at Beasley Coliseum, 90-67

The Cougars overcame a tough shooting night to defeat the Vandals.

Feb 15, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars celebrates during a men s basketball game against the California Golden Bears in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Washington State Cougars won 84-65. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Washington State extended their win streak to three games to start the 2024 season tonight by defeating the Idaho Vandals, 90-67, as they scored 90 or more points for the third time in as many contests. Despite a very tough night from beyond the arc for the Cougars, who went just 8-of-26 from deep, the offense still managed to put points on the board in a similar manner to how they have so far this season.

On offense, Nate Calmese led the way with 18 points on 8-for-15 from the field, and was one of five Washington State players in double figures. Other top scorers were LeJuan Watts (16 points, 14 rebounds), Dane Erikstrup (14 points), ND Okafor (12 points), and Ethan Price (11 points).

The game was deadlocked for the first 14 minutes, as the Cougars mostly trailed until around the 6-minute mark, where they took the lead and didn't look back. They led 38-31 at the break, and controlled the game for the entire second half, where they outscored the Vandals 52-36 to give them a 23-point victory.

Idaho struggled throughout the game with efficiency, finishing with a mark of 36.5% from the field and 20.8% from three. They were led on the offensive end by Isaiah Brickner, who scored 13 points, and Julius Mims, who added 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Cougars dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Vandals 45-29 behind a monster performance from LeJuan Watts on the glass.

It was yet another impressive performance from Washington State, who is showing that they are more than a team that can just score at a high clip. The rebounding has been a strength this year, as has been their balanced scoring attack – considering star Cedric Coward had just four total points, they still finished near their season average in scoring (95.5 coming into tonight).

The Cougars will face their biggest test of the season on Friday as they take on Iowa in the Quad Cities Hoops Showdown in Moline, Illinois. The game will tip at 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.

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