Cougars Catch Fire Early, Never Look Back in 95-79 Win Over Pepperdine
PULLMAN, Wash. - From the opening tip, Washington State made one thing clear: they weren’t going to be playing from behind on Saturday. The Cougars blitzed Pepperdine with a lights-out first half and never let up, cruising to a 95-79 win at Beasley Coliseum.
This one was all about pace, perimeter shooting, and depth. Washington State (9-13, 4-5 Pac-12) came out firing, building a 20-point cushion in the first half behind a barrage of threes and a balanced offensive attack that saw six players finish in double figures. The Cougs shot 53 percent from the field overall, but it was their early three-point shooting that set the tone.
Freshman forward Simon Hildebrandt and guard Rihards Vavers led the long-range assault, combining for seven of WSU’s 10 first-half threes. Hildebrandt knocked down four from deep, while Vavers added three of his own. As a team, WSU hit nearly 59 percent from beyond the arc in the first half-an offensive rhythm that Pepperdine simply couldn’t match.
Despite the hot start, the Waves made a push after halftime. Pepperdine trimmed the lead to just five early in the second half and briefly had WSU on its heels. But that’s when the Cougars’ depth and composure kicked in.
Ace Glass and ND Okafor took control down the stretch, each delivering double-digit scoring efforts in the final 20 minutes. With just over 14 minutes to play, Pepperdine had cut the deficit to two possessions. WSU answered with a knockout blow-an 18-3 run that spanned five minutes and pushed the lead back to 20 before the under-8 media timeout.
That run wasn’t just about the starters. The Cougar bench came up huge, outscoring Pepperdine’s reserves 36-8.
Freshman Dio Blakely had a milestone moment, scoring his first career points and adding his first collegiate rebound and block in the process. It was a performance that highlighted the kind of energy and production WSU is starting to get from its young core.
Offensively, this was one of the Cougars’ most complete games of the season. They knocked down 16 threes, converted 34 total field goals, and dished out a season-high 20 assists.
The ball movement was sharp, the spacing was clean, and the shot selection was confident. On the defensive end, WSU forced 15 turnovers-also a season best-turning defense into offense and keeping the Waves from ever finding a rhythm.
With the win, Washington State keeps momentum rolling as they continue their homestand. Next up: a midweek matchup against Seattle U on Wednesday, January 28. The Redhawks edged WSU in their first meeting back in December, 68-61, but this time the Cougars get them on their home floor, with a little more confidence and a lot more cohesion.
If Saturday’s performance is any indication, Wazzu is starting to find its stride-and the timing couldn’t be better.