Track and
field returns to Pullman after two meets this weekend
By SAM
HEIKELL, Evergreen January 29, 2018
WSU track
and field was split in half for the second time this season, sending athletes
to participate in Seattle and Albuquerque on Friday and Saturday.
Cougar
long distance runners went crossed the Cascade Mountains to compete in the UW
Invitational at the Dempsey Indoor Facility while the rest of the athletes
traveled south to take part in the New Mexico Team Invitational.
WSU’s
performance in Seattle was highlighted by senior Devon Bortfeld finishing
eighth in the women’s 5,000 meter Friday night.
“Overall,
this is the fastest I’ve ever run at a season opener, so I’m excited to really
get in the swing of racing,” Bortfeld said in a WSU news release. “I still have
a lot of work to do and details to iron out, but that will come with another
race under my belt.”
Junior
Chandler Teigen finished 19th in the men’s 3,000 meter and the men’s distance
medley relay team consisting of Teigen, redshirt sophomore Paul Ryan, junior
Reid Muller and sophomore Justin Janke came in third place with a time of
9:54.04.
“Chandler
Teigen ran a very smart 1,600 meter leg in the DMR to move us up to third,”
Director of Cross Country/Track and Field Wayne Phipps said in the release. “We
have the personnel to run very well in both DMRs, so I’m very excited to see
what we can run once we finalize all of our legs.”
Redshirt
junior Brock Eager has continued to see success this season. He took first in
the 35-pound weight throw competition at the New Mexico Team Invitational with
a distance of 20.25 meters, reaching his new season best in the process.
In the
women’s weight throw, redshirt sophomore Aoife Martin came in second place in
the 20-pound weight throw with a final distance of 17.41 meters.
“Aoife
Martin continues to improve each week. She has so much potential in this event,
it is exciting each meet to see how she will do,” Associate Head Coach Julie
Taylor said in the release. “Brock had a great day and continues to get
technically better each meet. I know once he can complete the throw his marks
will be even better.”
The
Cougars were well represented in the men’s 60 meter dash, as junior Ja’Maun
Charles finished in third place with a time of 6.81 seconds and senior Zach
Smith finished close behind him in fifth with a final time of 6.91 seconds.
WSU will
now look to get ready for the Cougar Indoor this Friday and Saturday at the
Indoor Practice Facility.
//////////////////
Tennis
claims three road wins to stay undefeated
By AVERY
COOPER, Evergreen January 29, 2018
WSU tennis
swept University of Montana 7-0 in two separate matches Friday.
In the
first set of doubles matches, senior Barbora Michalkova and sophomore Melisa
Ates defeated Montana’s freshman Bianca Bostrom and senior Cam Kincaid 5-2.
The second
consecutive win came from WSU sophomore Guzal Yusupova and junior Tiffany
Mylonas. They defeated Grizzlies freshman Julia Ronney and junior Nathalie
Joanlanne 6-1.
WSU
freshman Michaela Bayerlova and junior Aneta Miksovska then beat Montana senior
Catherine Orfanos and freshman Eimear Maher to complete the doubles sweep.
Following
doubles, the Cougars went 6-0 in singles play with Ates, Bayerlova, Michalkova,
Miksovska, Mylonas and Yusupova all claiming victories over the Grizzlies.
Both teams
took a break, and resumed action at 3 p.m. The Cougars were able to go seven
matches to zero again. The teams would first face off in doubles, where WSU won
all three. Then the Cougars swept the singles matches to leave the day with two
7-0 victories.
WSU Head
Coach Lisa Hart said her team performed at their highest level Friday and
immediately shifted their focus to their next match against University of Iowa
on Sunday.
“I was
impressed with our competitive spirit today. We executed well throughout the
doubles and singles lineups,” Hart said in a WSU news release after defeating
Montana. “We are excited about the test and opportunity Iowa will present on
Sunday.”
The
Cougars stayed in Missoula, Montana, to face their first challenge of the 2018
season against Iowa.
WSU was
able to take two out of the three doubles matchups against Iowa and went four
and two in singles, giving them a 5-2 victory over the Hawkeyes.
This was
the first match this year that the Cougars didn’t sweep their opponents. With a
win against Iowa, WSU improved to 5-0 on the season.
“I’m proud
of the way our team found a way to win today.
Iowa is a well-coached team and I was impressed with their fighting
spirit,” Hart said in the release. “We will enjoy this win today and starting
tomorrow we will begin preparing for Purdue next Saturday.”
After a
successful road trip, WSU will return home to face Purdue University at noon
Saturday at the Simmelink Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse.
……………..
WOMEN’S
BASKETBALL: UCLA escapes Pullman with victory over WSU
By AVERY
COOPER, Evergreen January 28, 2018
WSU
women’s basketball lost to University of California Los Angeles 79-71 after the
Cougars held a 20-13 lead after the first quarter.
Interim
Head Coach Mike Daugherty said the team played well, despite the loss.
“First
quarter was our best quarter of the year,” Daugherty said. “I think that’s a
really good basketball team we played tonight. The most athletic team we’ve
seen all year. Very long, very quick, very athletic. I think we did some really
good things.”
Redshirt
sophomore forward Borislava Hristova had 25 points for the Cougars. Bruins’
senior guard Jordin Canada led her team with 19 points.
Bruins
redshirt junior forward Lajana Drummer was one of two players for UCLA with a
double-double. Drummer had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Senior forward Monique
Billings was the other Bruin with a double-double. She finished the night with
15 points and 15 rebounds.
WSU was
outrebounded 51-29. UCLA was able to pick up 21 offensive rebounds to WSU’s
nine. The offensive rebound resulted in 19 second-chance points.
“They’re a
really athletic team as you can see and we can’t let them hang around under the
basket,” Hristova said.
Daugherty
said there were times the team had a height disadvantage, which resulted in the
rebounding deficit.
“They went
over the top of us several times where we were in position. We were in
position, and they probably got 10, 12 inches of reach on us. I think that’s
why the stat is the way it is,” Daugherty said.
Sophomore
guard Chanelle Molina saw improvement on offense for the Cougars, but there’s
always room for more.
“I feel
like our offense got better since last game. Everyone was cutting, some crispy
passes here and there. There’s definitely a lot more to improve on offense too.
We did an efficient job tonight but we could do a lot better,” Molina said.
Hristova
also felt the team played well in the first half, but gave up too many rebounds
from that point on.
In the
second half, the Cougars shot one for 10 on three-point attempts after shooting
four of eight beyond the arch in the first half.
“It was
just us not shooting as efficient in the first half. There’s not really an
excuse or anything they did to affect that. Just got to get more reps up in
practice and knock those down next time,” Hristova said.
Daugherty
said he hopes the team realizes that they can compete with anybody after taking
No. 13 UCLA down to the wire.
“I’m
hoping what the team takes away from this, is that we can play with a top-10
team in the country. That we can play with anybody in this conference,”
Daugherty said. “We gave them all they can handle. We need to take the next
step, where we win some of these close games.”
WSU will
face University of Arizona at 5 p.m. Friday in the McKale Center. The game can
also be seen live on Pac-12 Networks.
/////
MEN’S
BASKETBALL: WSU Men’s basketball falls
to Huskies again
JACKSON
GARDNER, Evergreen reporter
January
29, 2018
WSU men’s
basketball fell to in-state rival University of Washington in Montlake by a
score of 80-62 Sunday. The Cougars will be forced to deal with losing to the
Huskies in two meetings this season.
The two
teams seemed to trade identities. WSU (9-11,1-7), the first-ranked three-point
shooting team in the Pac-12, only hit six threes and struggled mightily from
beyond the arc all night, shooting 25 percent. Meanwhile the Huskies (15-6,
5-3), who are ranked 10th in the Pac-12 in three-point shooting, nailed 11
threes to a tune of 44 percent.
The
Cougars produced a smooth start early in the first half, but the UW three-point
barrage would prove to be too much.
WSU
couldn’t seem to help themselves later in the first half either. Immediately
after the Cougars took their first lead of the game, the offense went cold.
Five minutes went by before WSU would find another bucket. The Cougs were
outscored 22-5 in the last 10 minutes of the first half, which left them
trailing 45-30 at halftime.
The second
half brought life to the Cougars with a 12-2 run in the first two minutes,
bringing their deficit back to single digits. Senior forward Drick Bernstine
led the run with seven of the 12 points. But much like the first half, when the
offense was firing on all cylinders, it eventually blew a gasket, and the
Cougars would go six minutes without scoring a point.
The
deficit that had once been just five points with 16 minutes remaining found
itself back to 15 at around the 10-minute mark.
UW junior
guard Matisse Thybulle was also able to fend off any comeback from the Cougars.
He single-handedly took over the scoring for UW in the first eight minutes of
the second half, only receiving help from freshman guard Jaylen Nowell, who
made two points during the span.
With
sophomore point guard Malachi Flynn and junior forward Robert Franks shooting a
combined 9-29 from the field, WSU simply could not find the offensive firepower
to compete with UW.
WSU
returns to Pullman 7 p.m. Wednesday to face No. 11 University of Arizona at
Beasley Coliseum.
……..
Scoreless
stretches bury Washington State in 18-point loss to rival Washington
UPDATED:
Sun., Jan. 28, 2018, 10:18 p.m.
By Theo Lawson,
Spokane S-R
SEATTLE –
Despite all of the struggles and inconsistencies this season has served up for
Washington State, the one thing the Cougars have been able to maintain is their
3-point marksmanship.
Among the
347 basketball-playing schools at the Division I level, it’s essentially
unparalleled.
Entering
Sunday’s rivalry game at Washington, WSU ranked second nationally in 3-point
makes per game (11.9) and the Cougars this season have been the gold standard
in the Pac-12 Conference, leading in total makes (226), attempts (577) and
3-point percentage (39.2).
In their
first season under coach Mike Hopkins, the Huskies have been on the opposite
end of that spectrum. But on Sunday in the second chapter of the 2018 rivalry
series, they decided to try on the Cougars’ shoes.
Matisse
Thybulle and Dominic Green each swished three triples, UW made 11 of 25 as a
team and the Huskies overwhelmed the Cougars with a few destructive runs to
pull away with an 80-62 blowout win at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Presuming
the Evergreen State nemeses don’t run into each other at the conference
tournament, the Huskies, who won 70-65 in Pullman earlier this month, have
their second season sweep of the Cougars in three seasons. WSU won both games
in 2017.
“I think
for the first time in a long time, we completely knocked ourselves out of
rhythm,” WSU coach Ernie Kent said. “I thought the first half we were in a nice
rhythm and we were sharing the ball. We had great looks.”
The
Cougars controlled the lead for the first time when Robert Franks got a jumper
to fall, followed by a layup from Milan Acquaah to make it 25-23. But over the
next 4:51, every single shot thrown up by a WSU player fell short, long or
wide. The Cougars missed six shots in succession, and two free throws, but came
out of the drought relatively unscathed because the Huskies, also, couldn’t buy
a hoop.
Viont’e
Daniels broke WSU out of the slump with a corner 3, but the Cougars followed
that with another painful stretch on offense. They missed their next four tries
from the field and went more than four minutes and 30 seconds without adding to
their score.
It was
much more costly because the Huskies then proceeded to make each of their next
seven shots and an 18-0 run vaulted them to a 17-point lead before Franks’
bucket – one of just three for the Cougars during the final 10 minutes of the
half – cut the halftime deficit to 45-30.
“This team
completely, I thought at one point, just kind of collapsed,” Kent said.
“Everybody tried to do it by themselves.”
Drick
Bernstine was successful for a small sliver in the second half. He scored nine
of the team’s first 12 points out of the break and assisted on the other three,
feeding an inside pass to Franks, who converted an and-one layup that made it a
seven-point game.
That
could’ve been the bucket to fuel a WSU comeback. Instead, after two more shots
from Bernstine to close the gap back to seven, the Cougars hit another
offensive standstill. This time, they went almost seven minutes without making
a shot and the Huskies used the span to put their rivals away.
“We just
really played selfish as a team, me included,” Bernstine said. “I think we have
to just grow from this. Try and get better from it.”
“I kind of
went back and forth with the coaches … I’m supposed to be a leader of this team
and I set a bad example for them. That’s my fault, I’ll take the blame for the
deterioration, honestly.”
Franks and
Bernstine were the only double-digit scorers for WSU with 16 and 13 points,
respectively.
UW’s
Thybulle stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 18 points while assisting six times
and notching four steals. Husky freshman Jaylen Nowell scored 14 points and
Noah Dickerson tacked on 13 more.
The
Cougars (9-11, 1-7) have now lost 10 of their last 13 games since winning the
Wooden Legacy. They’ll host two ranked opponents next week: No. 11 Arizona at 7
p.m. on Wednesday and No. 21 Arizona State at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday.
/////
Below is part of Vince Grippi’s column from
Spokane S-R
Area
college sports
Grip on
Sports: Another loss to Washington illustrates where the Cougar basketball
fortunes lie these days
Mon., Jan.
29, 2018, 8:45 a.m.
By Vince
Grippi S-F of Spokane
A GRIP ON
SPORTS • A family member asked me last night after dinner what there was to
write about today. He thought it was a virtual desert out there. Ha. There are
always the Cougars’ basketball troubles. Read on.
• We’ve
written about this before, but someday Washington State is going to have
successful football and basketball programs at the same time. Not now, of
course. But someday.
Then
Cougar fans can take to social media and complain track isn’t what it was under
John Chaplin. After all, being a fan of most college sports programs is mainly
about complaining.
Right now
basketball is what WSU fans complain about. And rightfully so. The school has
such a rich tradition of success.
There was
the mythical national championship season of 1916-17. There was that one year,
just before World War II, when the Cougars were in the NCAA title game. And
that other time when they won 20 games. There have actually been almost 10
times when they’ve won 20 games since WWII, so there.
A veritable
basketball powerhouse. Every 20 years or so, the Cougars are ticketed to the
NCAA tournament.
That
doesn’t make this year – or the past few years – any easier to take. Washington
State’s 6-0 start is long gone, but it does have a tournament trophy (from the
Wooden Classic) to show for it. An Apple Cup victory? Nope, not this season.
Last
night’s 80-62 loss in Seattle assured that. It also assured the Huskies of at
least a break-even regular season. And assured Cougar fans would gag on their
morning coffee (not Starbucks because, you know, the Sonics).
Washington
was awful last season. So bad Lorenzo Romar lost his job with one of the
nation’s best recruiting class waiting in the wings. So bad the Huskies lost
twice to WSU. So bad no current head coach seemed to want the job.
And now?
The Huskies are thinking about the NCAA tournament. They are still a longshot,
but under first-year head coach Mike Hopkins, a long-time Syracuse assistant,
they are in the conversation.
And that
has to gall Cougar fans.
Ernie
Kent, in his fourth season, hasn’t had any single one like Hopkins is having
this season.
The best
Kent’s Cougars have done is 13 wins. They may get there again this year but
it’s doubtful. WSU is 9-11 overall but just 1-7 in Pac-12 play, making Kent’s
Cougar squads 15-48 in conference – and 44-69 overall.
And there
doesn’t look to be much change in sight.
Kent has a
long-term contract, one with a built-in rollover clause that former athletic
director Bill Moos consistently ignited after each year. Now it may burn his
predecessor, Patrick Chun. Which is ironic.
When Moos
took over, he was a constant critic of the contract Jim Sterk left him with
concerning then basketball coach Ken Bone. It was so expensive to make a
change, Moos couldn’t even if he wanted to. And yet he did the same to Chun.
In 2006,
the Cougars finished the season 11-17 overall. They were 4-14 in the Pac-10.
Included in a seven-game losing streak to end the season was a 30-point loss at
Oregon, coached by Ernie Kent.
The next
season they were 26-8. So it can happen. Washington State proved it could go
from 0 to 60 in one season. All it took was a special class of juniors and the
elevation of one of the best basketball coaches in America to the top spot
(though few knew it at the time).
That’s not
happening again. Not in Pullman. Not now.
//////////////
SportsCollege
Sports
2
Draft
tracker: NFL Network analyst Charles Davis breaks down Senior Bowl performances
By Jon
Wilner | San Jose Merc News
PUBLISHED:
January 29, 2018 at 6:37 am | UPDATED: January 29, 2018 at 8:28 am
Full
disclosure: The NFL Draft itself is of modest interest to me. But the build-up
to the draft … the months-long evaluation process, the quest for certainty in
an unknowable pursuit, the application of data to what is inherently an art,
the tearing-down of a prospect because he’s two inches short or two-tenths of a
second slow when all subjective analysis indicate the kid can play … all of
that, I find absolutely riveting.
The
assessment below of the Pac-12 players at the Senior Bowl is the first of many
draft-related items you’ll see on the Hotline over the next three months.
Some will
follow the analyst-driven format below; others might simply be an overview of
recent news on certain prospects.
I realize
the draft isn’t for all Pac-12 fans, but it seems to be for enough that a
Hotline article or podcast each week, or every two weeks, is appropriate.
Charles
Davis, a former college analyst for FOX, attended the Senior Bowl practices and
game as part of the NFL Network’s lead broadcast team.
I asked
about all eight Pac-12 position players in attendance, including Washington
State quarterback Luke Falk, who missed the game to attend the funeral of
former teammate Tyler Hilinski.
Davis’
insight was such that readers won’t merely learn something about the prospects
themselves, but also the scouting process.
(Note: I
did not ask about Oregon longsnapper Tanner Carew.)
*** On
Falk:
“I’m a
huge Mike Leach fan; I’ve known him for ages. But there’s no arguing that he
hasn’t had that quarterback in the NFL. The best is probably Tim Couch, who
Leach had as an (offensive coordinator) at Kentucky. When you get down to it,
the NFL likes bloodlines. They follow it. Falk is a little different. I think
he has a better shot than the other Leach quarterbacks. He has the build, and I
think he can push the ball down the field – he’s not simply a dart thrower. Can
he break the chain of Mike Leach quarterbacks not being NFL quarterbacks? He
had a tremendous week. For NFL guys, the practice is the most important.
Everyone knows why he didn’t play in the game.”
*** On
UCLA center Scott Quessenberry:
“Getting
into the weight room for added ballast is part of the discussion with him. You
talk to NFL guys, and they say he can be overpowered. Well, everybody can be
overpowered, but he needs weight to handle the guys on the nose he will have to
deal with. He reminds me of Jason Kelce with the Eagles (a former sixth-round
pick and first-team All Pro). I’m not saying he will be Kelsey. The ballast is
something he needs to work on. It will be a big challenge.”
*** On
Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage:
“What he
did at ASU doesn’t match what you see in person. I look at him and think, ‘He
should be a three-down back: He should be able to carry the ball, protect the
quarterback and catch the ball out of the backfield.’ But his career has been
as a third-down back in a three-down back’s body. What he did this week, the
way he lowered his should to finish runs, will send everyone back to the film
room asking why didn’t we see that at ASU. Here’s what I think happened: NFL
guys don’t mince words. This week is all about making players uncomfortable, to
see how they can adapt and see if they whine or complain. I would bet my last
nickel that Ballage walked into (an interview with scouts), and someone said,
‘Dude, why do you run (so soft)? … We want to see you drop the boom on
somebody.'”
*** On
Washington State guard Cole Madison:
“I like
this kid better than (Cougars acclaimed tackle Cody O’Connell). He knows who he
is. He’s a physical kid, but you don’t think of him that way when you watch
them play because he’s always in pass protection. He spent the week showing he
can move people off the ball.”
*** On
Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips:
“The dude
had a great week. He was hard to block. He can handle the run game, but this
week allowed him to be more of a rusher. He collapsed the pocket and did
extremely well in the one-on-one drills. He could be a two-gap or a one-gap
player. He holds the point of attack well, and I like how he uses his hands.
That wrestling background comes into play.”
*** On
Oregon offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby:
“He’s been
a right tackle who’s moved to the left side. There weren’t a ton of great edge
rushers at the Senior Bowl, but he did a nice job handling people. He
understands alignments and angles, and he handles the run game pretty well.
He’s a little thicker than some Oregon tackles in recent years, like Jake
Fisher, and I think that will help him. Some teams might look at moving him
inside (to guard), but he can play either tackle. It’s a matchup league. What
we’ve seen in the past with the left tackle being so valuable, the ‘Blind Side’
stuff, doesn’t really apply anymore. Defenses will find your weakness. You
really need two left tackles out there. Von Miller lines up on the right side.”
/////////
Registration
Open for 2018 WSU Volleyball Summer Camps
From WSU
Sports Info
PULLMAN,
Wash. - Washington State Volleyball is hosting four Summer Camps in 2018, all
on the Pullman campus, Head Coach Jen Greeny announced Monday. For the eighth
consecutive summer, Greeny and her staff will conduct a Youth Camp, an
Intermediate Camp, an Individual All-Skills Camp and a High School Team
Camp/Tournament that will provide instruction to suit players of all abilities.
The Youth
Camp is for boys and girls entering first through fifth grades, and will be
held June 28-29, from 9-11:30 a.m. each day in Bohler Gym. This day camp
provides a fun opportunity for young volleyball players to learn the
fundamentals of the game. Each camper will develop their skills in passing,
setting, hitting and serving. The Youth Camp cost is $60 per child.
The
Intermediate Camp is for boys and girls entering fifth through eighth grades,
and will be held June 28-29, from 9-11:30 a.m. and from 12:15-2:15 p.m. each
day in Bohler Gym. This day camp will focus on all aspects of the game with
emphasis on fundamental skill development from the beginner to the more
experienced players. Afternoon sessions will allow campers to put their
fundamentals into action in competitive and game-like drills. The Intermediate
Camp cost is $115 per child.
The
Individual All-Skills Camp is open to boys and girls entering grades seven
through 12, and will be held July 8-11. The Individual All-Skills Camp offers
the highest level of specific position training to experienced players and
all-around fundamental skill training for beginning players. This camp offers a
great opportunity for athletes to raise their skill level in a highly
competitive setting and experience what it is like to play at Washington State
University. Campers at the Individual All-Skills Camp pay $395 for overnight
accommodations and meals, while commuters with meals (two lunches and three
dinners) pay $345 and commuters with no meals pay $275.
The High
School Team Camp and Team Tournament is July 11-14. The Team Camp is open to
both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams and has a nine-player minimum. This camp
is designed to give high school teams the opportunity to practice together in a
collegiate atmosphere. WSU provides one coach who is a current or former WSU
player or Camp staff member for each team. The primary focus of the camp is
competition and team concepts. There are also specific breakout sessions for
the high school coaches, including setting and team defense. Camp is concluded
with the High School Team Tournament July 13-14. The overnight with WSU Camp
Staff cost is $335 per player. Commuters with WSU Camp Staff costs $275 per
player.
The High
School Varsity and Junior Varsity teams who are unable to attend Team Camp are
invited to compete in the High School Tournament, July 13-14. The Team Tournament
provides valuable game experience before the start of the high school season.
The tournament format includes two rounds of pool play and championship
tournament play over the course of two days. The High School Team Tournament
attracts teams from all over the region and is not limited to size of school or
level of play. There is a nine player minimum. Cost for overnight is $125 per
player and commuters pay $75 per player.
Registration
for all WSU Volleyball Camps is online at http://www.athletics.wsu.edu/camps/.
/////////
Three WSU administrators sued
WSU
professor alleges discrimination, invasion of privacy, defamation
https://dailyevergreen.com/25468/news/three-administrators-sued/
