Washington State Cougars Narrowly Outscored at MGM Grand Garden Arena by UNLV Runnin' Rebels

In a closely contested game at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Washington State Cougars faced off against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. The final score read 74-70 in favor of the home team, with both teams displaying a competitive edge throughout. The Cougars now stand with an overall record of 0-1, while the Runnin' Rebels move to 1-0.

The Washington State Cougars started strong, putting up 30 points in the first half and adding another 40 in the second. Their offensive efforts were led by impressive three-point shooting, converting 13 out of their 23 attempts for a remarkable three-point percentage of around 57 percent. From within the arc, they maintained efficiency as well, making over half of their two-point shots.

Defensively, however, it was a challenging night for Washington State as they managed only one steal and blocked four shots from their opponents. On rebounds, they showed tenacity by grabbing a total of 33 boards – six offensive and twenty-four defensive – contributing to several second-chance opportunities which resulted in six additional points.

The team's distribution was noteworthy with sixteen assists on their way to scoring seventy points; however turnovers proved costly as they gave up possession twenty-two times leading to six points for UNLV off these turnovers. Despite these setbacks, Washington State continued to fight hard throughout both halves.

On the other side of the court, UNLV capitalized on turnovers better than their counterparts did; scoring an impressive thirty-one points following Cougar mistakes. They also outpaced them with fast break points at twenty-one compared to ten from Washington State.

UNLV's field goal percentage stood at approximately fifty-one percent overall and sixty-six percent for two-pointers specifically – showcasing effective shooting inside despite being less successful beyond the arc where they made seven out of twenty-three attempts or about thirty percent from three-point range.

The next game scheduled for Washington State is set against Baylor Bears at American Airlines Center in Dallas on December nineteenth at nine PM Eastern Time (six PM Pacific). Fans can catch this matchup live on ESPN2 channel two hundred nine.