Can Washington State Cougars Maintain Their Momentum After Edging Out the Bruins?
In a closely contested battle at Pauley Pavilion, the Washington State Cougars emerged victorious with an 85-82 scoreline against the UCLA Bruins. The Cougars' season record now stands at an impressive 0-0, while the Bruins hold a 2-0 mark following this encounter.
The game was characterized by several lead changes and a single instance where the scores were tied, indicating how evenly matched both teams were throughout the contest. The Washington State Cougars displayed remarkable shooting accuracy with a field goal percentage of 54 and were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting half of their three-point attempts. Their free throw performance was also notable as they made 27 out of 34 attempts, translating to a commendable 79 percent success rate.
Defensively, both teams managed to secure five steals each; however, it was in blocking where the Cougars showed superiority with five blocks compared to just one from their opponents. This defensive solidity contributed significantly to their narrow win. On offense, they capitalized on turnovers by scoring 19 points off them and added another seven points through second-chance opportunities.
The team's rebounding efforts saw them pull down a total of 25 rebounds—22 personal and three team rebounds—with offensive boards being particularly scarce for both sides. Despite this area for potential improvement, it did not deter them from maintaining control over key aspects of the game.
A standout statistic that reflects well on team coordination is assists; although UCLA had more assists overall (18), it's worth noting that Washington State managed to distribute twelve assists amongst themselves during play—a testament to their collaborative effort on court.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought victory against one of their conference rivals, fans can anticipate seeing whether Washington State can continue its winning ways when they host Colorado Buffaloes at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman on February 2nd at 8:00 PM local time (Pacific Time Zone). This upcoming game will be broadcasted live on Pac-12 Network for supporters who wish to follow along as these two teams face off in what promises to be another exciting college basketball matchup.