Washington State Cougars On SI

Washington State MBB Fall Again in Home Rout By Gonzaga

Joe Londergan

Feb 8, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach David Riley talks with guard Nate Calmese (8) during a game against the Pepperdine Waves in the first half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Feb 8, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach David Riley talks with guard Nate Calmese (8) during a game against the Pepperdine Waves in the first half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images
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Wednesday night saw the Washington State men's basketball team fall to Gonzaga for the second time this season. The Bulldogs made the short trip back to Spokane with win by a final score of 84-63.

The Cougars seemed to have some momentum early, but lost the lead in the first five minutes. The Zags went on to score 50 points in the first half, the most by any WSU opponent this season.

Another factor in the Zags' winning performance was their accuracty from the free-throw line. Gonzaga made 19 of 20 free throw attempts, the highest percentage by a WSU opponent this year.

Gonzaga's Graham Ike was the game's top performer, posting a double-double with 17 points and 13 points.

Three WSU players scored in double figures with LeJuan Watts leading the way (19) followed by Isaiah Watts and Thomas Thrastarson, who scored 12 points apiece.

"It was a disappointing game and another one where there's a seven, eight minute spurt. This time it happened in the first half where we let it get away from us and getting a 20-point deficit on Gonzaga is a tough hole to climb out of," head coach David Riley said postgame.

The Cougars fall to 16-12 overall. WSU are 3.5 games back from the top four spots in the West Coast Conference, who would receive an automatic spot in the quarter finals of the WCC tournament. They have just three regular season games remaining on their schedule, beginning with Santa Clara on February 22 at 3 PM PT.

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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.

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