Washington State Cougars Edged Out in Overtime Nail-Biter at Haas Pavilion

The Washington State Cougars faced a tough overtime battle against the California Golden Bears, ending with a 75-81 defeat. The Cougars now stand with an overall season record of 0-1, while the Golden Bears have kicked off their season at 1-0. Despite a hard-fought game that pushed both teams to their limits, it was the home team that ultimately secured the win in extra time.

The Cougars started strong in the first half, putting up 29 points against the Golden Bears' 36. They managed to close the gap by outscoring their opponents in the second half with 39 points to California's 32, leading to an intense overtime period. However, it was during these crucial extra minutes that Washington State could only add seven more points to their tally compared to California's decisive 13.

Throughout regulation time and into overtime, Washington State showcased some solid statistics but fell short in key areas. The team shot an overall field goal percentage of 46 percent and were particularly effective from beyond the arc with a three-point shooting percentage of 44 percent. From two-point range, they made good on nearly half of their attempts at a rate of 46 percent.

On defense, Washington State managed six blocks but failed to record any steals throughout playtime. They also gathered an impressive total rebound count of 38 but allowed California more second-chance opportunities which proved costly down the stretch.

Offensively for Washington State, assists were distributed well among players resulting in a total of fourteen assists; however this was slightly overshadowed by ten turnovers over course of game play - nine attributed directly players themselves.

In terms paint presence they scored twenty-six points indicating some success inside but were outdone by Golden Bear's thirty-eight paint points highlighting area improvement needed for future games.

As fans look ahead after this hard-fought contest there is another opportunity on horizon for Cougar faithful cheer on their team as they prepare host Utah Utes at Beasley Coliseum located Pullman WA scheduled January twenty-fourth eight o'clock evening Pacific Time broadcasted Pac-12 Network where supporters can tune watch action unfold live from comfort homes or local establishments supporting WSU athletics.