Cougars Claw Out at Galen: Washington State Faces USC Trojans
As the Washington State Cougars prepare to face off against the USC Trojans at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, fans are eager to see if they can carry their recent momentum into this challenging away game. The Cougars have shown a mix of resilience and areas for improvement in their past performances that could influence their upcoming contest.
In their last game against Oregon's Ducks, the Cougars put up a valiant fight but fell short by five points, with an 84-89 loss. Despite this, they demonstrated strong offensive capabilities, shooting 54 percent from the field and an impressive 50 percent from beyond the arc. However, turnovers were a concern as they gave up possession 12 times which translated into 16 points for the Ducks.
The previous home game saw a more favorable outcome for Washington State with a victory over Oregon State's Beavers. The Cougars' defense was particularly notable with seven blocks and holding their opponents to just 58 points. Offensively, they maintained efficiency from the free-throw line with an 82 percent success rate but will need to work on capitalizing on second-chance opportunities as they had no points from such plays.
A concerning trend is apparent when looking at turnovers; in both games mentioned above as well as during an away defeat against Colorado's Buffaloes where they lost by seven points (67-74), turnovers remained consistently high (13 against Colorado). This is something that will need tightening up against USC who may look to exploit any such weaknesses.
The venue itself might play a role in this encounter; playing away at the Galen Center poses its own set of challenges due to unfamiliarity with surroundings and lack of home support which could impact performance unless adequately prepared for.
Fans can catch all the action on January 11th at Fox Sports 1 channel number 219. Tip-off is scheduled for January 11th at what translates to local time (US/Pacific) considering daylight saving changes. With both teams looking to assert dominance early in conference play, it promises to be an enthralling matchup between these two competitors.