Cougars' Effort Falls Short Against Ranked Trojans at Galen Center

70-62, 0-1 for the Washington State Cougars and 11-0 for the USC Trojans encapsulates the outcome of a hard-fought contest at the Galen Center. The Washington State Cougars, unranked in this matchup, faced a formidable opponent in the 11th-ranked USC Trojans. Despite a valiant effort that saw them outscore their opponents in the final quarter, it was not enough to overcome an early deficit.

The Cougars demonstrated resilience throughout the game. They finished with an impressive field goal percentage of 46 percent on 55 attempts and were particularly effective from two-point range, converting 56 percent of their shots. However, they struggled beyond the arc with a three-point shooting percentage of just 29 percent on 21 attempts.

Defensively, Washington State was active around the rim with seven blocks but managed only four steals during play. On offense, they distributed well with a total of 18 assists but were hindered by turnovers; they gave up possession twelve times which translated into four points for USC off those turnovers.

The team's rebounding efforts yielded a total of twenty-eight boards – twenty-six defensive and two offensive rebounds – though this was overshadowed by USC's more dominant forty-three rebounds which included fifteen offensive grabs contributing to eleven second-chance points.

Washington State's free throw performance left room for improvement as they made six out of ten from the line, resulting in a sixty percent success rate. Points in paint were another area where they excelled with thirty points scored inside against USC's twenty-four.

Despite these efforts by Washington State Cougars players and coaching staff adjustments throughout each quarter (12-13-17-20), it wasn't enough to surpass or sustain pressure against USC who led every quarter (21-22-11-16) and capitalized on fast break opportunities totaling twenty fast break points compared to Washington State’s three.

Looking ahead after this conference game defeat where attendance numbered at two thousand six hundred seventy-one fans witnessing no lead changes or ties during playtime at Galen Center; fans can mark their calendars for when Washington State takes on UCLA Bruins next. The upcoming game is scheduled to take place at Pauley Pavilion located in Los Angeles on January 28th at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. Fans unable to attend can catch all live action broadcasted on Pac-12 Network as both teams look forward to competing once again.