WSU-UW: Cougars Down Dawgs… Again

Senior night in Pullman almost never ended. What better way for WSU seniors to close out their careers 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 their 2008 conference play with a lock on third place and a record of 11-7. Their final regular season record is complete at a terrific mark of 23-7. Back-to-back twenty 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 fought hard. Both 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 three point shot to win the game, but his effort doinked 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 three pointer to close within a lone 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, 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. They fought the physical Huskies from beginning to end. WSU was out of their weight class, but that didn’t matter in the end. They played smart basketball and exploited the elbow-throwing-body-checking-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. 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 conversion for WSU was sub-par. They were 19-29 from the charity stripe. Many of those misses were the front end of one-and-ones.

That said, the important stat was the final score: WSU 76 - UW 73

What a great season Cougs! Another 20+ 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 in Staples Center. Their first game will be Thursday evening at 6pm. They plan to get deep into March Madness, fully capable of at least a Sweet Sixteen birth.

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!!!