Washington State keeps win streak going with victory over Oregon
Perhaps, this Washington State basketball team has been saving its best for last.
That was the case Sunday against Oregon and also holds true in the bigger picture as the Cougars have matched a season-high with three straight wins now while pushing closer to evening their overall record.
Washington State got a late second-chance basket by Justin Powell with 23 seconds left Sunday and held on for a 68-65 win as the Ducks missed a final 3-pointer, sending the Cougars to victory on senior day in their final regular-season home game.
Mouhamed Gueye continued his strong play with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Powell and TJ Bamba scored 11 points each, Andrej Jakimovski chipped in 10, DJ Rodman scored 9 and Jabe Mullins finished with 8 in a balanced team effort for the Cougars (13-15, 8-9 Pac-12).
This game was back-and-forth throughout both halves, with the Cougars having the game’s largest lead at 10 midway through the second half after a Jakimovski 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run.
The Ducks (15-13, 9-8) needed a win to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive after a tough overtime loss on the road against the Huskies on Wednesday, and 12 turnovers in the game dealt a devasting blow.
WSU limited Oregon center N’Faly Dante, the Ducks leading scorer, and star guard, Will Richardson, holding them to a combined 18 total points.
Gueye, meanwhile, delivered his 12th double-double of the season and his fifth in the last seven games.
“It shows that you’re pretty much doing a lot on the floor, rebounding, scoring, and of course, you’ll feel good for sure,” Gueye said.
WSU had a thin roster, with backup center Adrame Diongue out for the game with a hand injury, and the Cougars using an 8-man rotation, but everyone did their part.
Rodman, who was honored as one of the two graduating seniors on Senior Day, surprised head coach Kyle Smith and the Pullman fans by announcing he will be returning to Pullman for his final year of eligibility next season.
Smith talked about the final defensive stand of the game to seal the win for the Cougars, and with WSU having three fouls to give with 10 seconds in the game, fouling Oregon on the floor and making them shoot a contested shot.
“They tried to come down and take a shot and our defense was tough, it was good,” Smith said.
Smith talked about the surge of Gueye, and how he went from a player who was a rotational asset and getting about 20 minutes a game to being the focal point of the offense in just his fourth year playing basketball.
“He’s so much better now than he was last year,” Smith said. “He’s a big contributor and he’s a good competitor.”
Rodman said he got a little emotional during his senior day recognition, with a surprise video from his sister, Trinity Rodman, who is making waves with the United States Women’s National Soccer Team.
“I’m just so thankful that I’m here and I’m still playing and making it work,” Rodman said.
The Cougars finish 10-3 at home on the season, and with one of the worst road-records in the conference, look to secure wins in their final three games of the regular season to get ready for the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.
WSU player of the game
More like player of the week, but the way Mouhamed Gueye has been playing since the start of the three-game home stretch, even in the loss to USC on the road, has been some of his best basketball all season.
Gueye has been averaging 18.6 points a game his last three games, along with 9 rebounds a game at home, being the focal point on offense inside, letting him work on his defender. On the defensive side, he has stepped up his game, and his size makes him a huge factor on the boards.
The way he has been leading this team, at the right time as well, Gueye could very well end up being the Pac-12 player of the week after back-to-back games of scoring at least 18 points and being dominant inside.
What’s next for WSU
The Cougars are not in 7th place in the Pac-12 standings, just one game behind Oregon and two games behind Arizona State and Utah, while being ahead of both Washington and Colorado by one game.
With three games left against teams below WSU in the standings, and the current momentum the Cougars have, there is a real chance the Cougars finish over .500 overall and in the Pac-12 conference with their favorable schedule.
The Cougars travel to Palo Alto to face Stanford on Thursday to kick off their final road trip of the regular season.
Stats
Mouhamed Gueye: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Andrej Jakimovski: 10 points, 5 rebounds
DJ Rodman: 9 points, 3 rebounds
TJ Bamba: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Justin Powell: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Kymany Houinsou: 1 point
Jabe Mullins: 8 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 3 steals