Published Mar 9, 2023
Cougars open Pac-12 tournament with a win, run streak to 7 in a row
Kuria Pounds
Staff writer

Despite not a great shooting performance from the field, Washington State did just enough in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament to defeat No. 12 seed Cal, 69-52, to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Cougars (17-15) struggled shooting in the first half and finished 41.7 percent from the field overall, but in playing a three-win Golden Bears team (3-29) that was more than enough to earn a seventh straight win and advance to a matchup with No. 4-seed Oregon at 2:30 p.m. PT Thursday (on Pac-12 Network).

WSU dominated the boards Wednesday, outrebounding the Bears by 14 on the glass and doubling Cal in offensive rebounds from the size difference inside and forward Mouhamed Gueye continuing his dominance.

Five Cougars ended the afternoon in double figures offensively, led by 17 points from TJ Bamba. Jabe Mullins was 3 of 4 on 3-pointers for 11 points off the bench, and DJ Rodman, Adrej Jakimovski and Gueye all scored 10.

Rodman got his first double-double since Jan. 5, adding 11 rebounds.

“We all were getting rebounds and the guards were getting rebounds so it made the job easy,” Gueye said.

This was the best game the Cougars have played defensively in both halves, limiting Cal’s offense until it was too late for the Golden Bears to mount any kind of comeback.

“It got to 11 there and our veterans made good plays and kept that thing at a distance,” coach Kyle Smith said.

Rodman said this WSU team is locked in and is trying to win four games in four days to earn a potential spot in the NCAA tournament, mimicking what the WSU women’s team did just days ago.

“We’re locked in and we’re trying to win,” Rodman said. “We’re going to try to make it all four and make it as far as we [can].”

WSU player of the game

Both TJ Bamba and DJ Rodman were the main contributors on a balanced offense with everyone getting involved in the big defensive effort.

Bamba led the Cougars with 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, and even though he struggled from behind the arc, nailing 3 of 4 from the line boosted his dominance in a defensive-driven victory.

Rodman collected his second double-double on the season, being the main guy on the boards for the Cougars on the afternoon.

Both played major roles in the Cougars' best defensive win of the season and can improve in the next round offensively.

What’s next for the Cougars

The Cougars extend their winning streak to seven after defeating the Bears three times on the season.

WSU looks to win the season series against Oregon in their third matchup, with the Cougars having won the most recent game in Pullman by 3 on senior day.

WSU and Oregon tip-off in the quarterfinals approximately at 2:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the UCLA-Colorado matchup that tips at 12 p.m. PST and the game can be viewed on the Pac-12 networks.

Stats

Mouhamed Gueye: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks

Andrej Jakimovski: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

DJ Rodman: 10 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist

TJ Bamba: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Justin Powell: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Jack Wilson: 2 points, 2 rebounds

Kymany Houinsou; 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Dylan Darling: 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Jabe Mullins; 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

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