Washington State Men’s Hoops Eyes Crucial Stretch in WCC Tournament Push
PULLMAN - The road to a top-four seed in the WCC Tournament is still wide open for Washington State, even after tough losses to San Francisco and San Diego. With nine games left on the schedule, the Cougars are right in the thick of the race. Saturday’s win over Pepperdine, combined with San Francisco’s loss to Gonzaga, has WSU sitting just one game behind both USF and Pacific for that coveted No. 4 seed - the final spot that earns a bye into Sunday’s quarterfinal round.
But if the Cougars want to make that leap, now’s the time to get serious.
At 9-13 overall and 4-5 in conference play, WSU has a manageable three-game stretch ahead before things get significantly tougher. After that, it’s a gauntlet: Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Pacific, and St.
Mary’s - a stretch where wins will be hard to come by. That makes this week’s games not just important, but essential.
First Up: A Shot at Redemption vs. Seattle U
WSU gets another crack at Seattle U on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. PT (ESPN+), and the Cougars have plenty of motivation.
The Redhawks handed them a 69-55 loss back in December at Climate Pledge Arena - a game that exposed some early-season issues for WSU. But since then, Seattle U has struggled.
They’re just 2-5 since that win and have dropped all four of their road games during that span.
Defense has kept Seattle U afloat, but their offense has sputtered badly over the last five games. While they do have a few solid road wins this season - including a November win at Stanford - they’ve also taken a lopsided loss to a struggling Oregon State team.
The key for WSU? Defend the perimeter. Seattle U lives and dies by the three, and if the Cougars can chase them off the arc and force tough looks inside, they’ll put themselves in a strong position to flip the script from December.
Saturday: Portland Comes to Town
The Cougars’ second test of the week comes Saturday at 3 p.m. PT (ESPN+) when Portland visits Pullman.
Back in December, WSU had to dig deep to escape the Pilots - a game where they looked out of sorts for much of the second half. But in hindsight, that Portland team may have been better than advertised.
The Pilots (10-12, 3-6 WCC) opened conference play with four straight losses but have since found a bit of rhythm. They’ve picked up wins over Pacific and LMU and gave St.
Mary’s a serious challenge. That said, they also dropped a head-scratcher to Pepperdine, showing they’re still a work in progress.
One name to watch is Joel Foxwell. The freshman has been making waves in the WCC, winning Freshman of the Week honors five times - two more than WSU’s own standout, Ace Glass. Glass, for his part, just picked up his third weekly award, and the race between the two could go down to the wire.
But while Portland has improved, this is still a game WSU should control - especially at home. The Cougars can’t afford to let this one slip away if they’re serious about making a move up the standings.
Rebounding: The Hidden Battle
One area where WSU can gain a real edge this week? The glass.
Seattle U has struggled mightily in rebounding - ranking 338th in offensive rebounding rate and 302nd on the defensive end. That’s a weakness the Cougars have to exploit.
In their first meeting, WSU pulled down 25 offensive boards but only converted them into 14 second-chance points. That kind of inefficiency can’t happen again. If the Cougars dominate the boards, they need to cash in - especially in a game where every possession will matter.
WSU Women’s Team Searching for Answers as Season Winds Down
On the women’s side, it’s been a tough ride for Washington State. A season that began with high hopes has unraveled, and after back-to-back losses to San Francisco and Pacific, the Cougars find themselves at 4-18 overall and 3-6 in WCC play.
At this point, it’s less about a late-season surge and more about salvaging seeding for the conference tournament - and maybe building a little momentum for March.
But the schedule isn’t doing them any favors this week. WSU travels to face Santa Clara (17-5, 7-2 WCC) on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT, then returns home Saturday for a 7 p.m. matchup against Gonzaga (14-7, 6-2 WCC), both games streaming on ESPN+.
There’s still pride to play for, and a chance to disrupt the standings. But for a team that hasn’t been able to find its footing, the final stretch is shaping up to be more about resilience than redemption.
Bottom Line
For the WSU men, this week is about capitalizing on opportunity. The Cougars are within striking distance of a top-four seed, but they can’t afford to let winnable games slip away - not with a brutal stretch looming. For the women, it’s about finding something to build on in a season that hasn’t gone according to plan.
Either way, it’s crunch time in Pullman.