WSU-UW: Cougars Down Huskies in Double Overtime

Senior night in Pullman almost never ended.

What better way for WSU senior to close out their career than an Apple Cup Classic?

Well, the best way would be for that classic game to end in a victory for Washington State over their cross-state rivals, the Washington Huskies. Yes, this time around things did work out for the best. After two overtime periods, the final score was WSU 76 UW 73.

Washington State finishes its 2008 conference play with a lock on third place and a Pac-10 record of 11-7. Its final regular-season record is complete at a terrific mark of 23-7.

Back-to-back 20-win seasons. Back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament. Things are looking very good for Cougar Nation.

If you didn't get to see the game, it was the quintessential double-overtime game. Both clubs left everything they had on the court. In the end, the ball bounced the way of the Cougs.

The first overtime swung back the way of WSU with a nice bounce of the ball. Taylor Rochestie launched a 3-pointer to win the game, but his effort clanked off the side of the rim. Kyle Weaver tipped the errant ball to Robbie Cowgill who deftly made an easy layup. That pushed the game into a second overtime.

Within a minute of the second overtime, it appeared the Cougs finally had the number of the Huskies, jumping out to a 71-67 lead. Ryan Appleby would have none of that, knocking down an NBA-distance 3-pointer to close within a point.

That was it for the Huskies. The stifling WSU defense did a job on what was left on the floor for the Dawgs. Two of the UW big men fouled out and Jon Brockman was forced to the bench with an injury.

Speaking of Brockman, it seems that some of the class exhibited by coach Tony Bennett and the rest of the Cougs influenced the Zzu Cru.

As Brockman was helped to the sideline, Cougar fans offered a sincere round of applause for the double-double specialist for Washington. He deserved the recognition.

Washington State deserved the win, as the Cougars fought the physical Huskies from beginning to end. WSU was out of their weight class, but that didn't matter in the end. It played smart basketball and exploited the elbow-throwing, body-checking, and shoving obsession of the UW players.

What tipped the scale?

Don't sell short the fact that more than 10,000 fans were on hand for the game to support their Cougars. That's right. Friel Court was alive!

Despite the fact that spring break began Friday, the Zzu Cru was a force to be sure. They offered a fitting tribute to five WSU seniors and vocal pressure on the Dawgs.

There were a number of reasons this game was close.

The Cougs didn't seem as aggressive as the Dawgs going after rebounds and loose balls until there was about five minutes left in the game. When they were finally aroused, loose balls became Cougar possessions.

Coach Romar guided his defense to shut down the drive and dish to Aron Baynes. Effective? You be the judge. Baynes ended up taking more free throws than his point total. He had more rebounds than points!

Free throw shooting for WSU was sub-par. The Cougars were 19-for-29 from the charity stripe, with many of those misses coming on the front end of one-and-ones.

What a great season Cougs! Another 20-plus win regular season. Another trip to the NCAA Tournament. Another year of exciting basketball.

Check this out.

There's more excitement to come. This thing hasn't ended yet. These teammates aren't finished. They have a loftier goal to achieve. They're traveling to Los Angeles with the focus on winning the Pac-10 Tournament at the Staples Center.

Their first game will be Thursday at 6 p.m. They look to get deep into March Madness, fully capable of at least a Sweet Sixteen berth.

For now, Cougar Nation can enjoy another victory over Washington. When you dress Sunday morning, wear your crimson and gray with pride Cougs!

GO COUGS!!!