WSU Women’s
Basketball
COLORADO
(10-5, 0-4) at WASHINGTON STATE (6-9, 1-3)
Sun., Jan.
13 | Noon
Live Stats | WSUCougars.com
Watch | Pac-12 Network (Kate Scott &
Layshia Clarendon)
Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network
From WSU
Sports Info 1/12/2019
OPENING
FIVE
> The
Cougars close out the weekend with a contest against Colorado Sunday at
Beasley. The Cougs and the Buffs have had a heated rivalry over the last few
seasons with epic battles in Pullman, Boulder, and at the Pac-12 Tournament in
Seattle.
> WSU
has dropped three-straight in Pac-12 play including a pair of heart breakers to
#11 Oregon State and most recenlty Utah Friday night.
>
Senior Alexys Swedlund, WSU's all-time three-point queen, became the 19th
player in program history to hit 1,000 career points after scoring nine at
Oregon Sunday. She is 17th all-time with 1,019 points.
>
Borislava Hristova, a Cheryl Miller Watch List nominee, enters the week scoring
21.9 ppg, 2nd in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation.
> The
Cougars are 31st in the nation in shooting (5th in the Pac-12), at 44.7%.
Behind the arc, WSU hits at a 36.1% clip, also 38th in the nation.
GAME
INFORMATION - VS COLORADO
The
Cougars close out the weekend with a contest against Colorado Sunday at
Beasley. The Cougs and the Buffs have had a heated rivalry over the last few
seasons with epic battles in Pullman, Boulder, and at the Pac-12 Tournament in
Seattle. All-time WSU leads the series 9-6 including going 6-1 at home at
Beasley. Last season the two split the season series with each taking care of
their home courts. In Boulder, the Cougs hit a last second three that would
have tied the game and sent it to overtime only to have it waved off as just
after time expired.
At home it
was the Bobi Buckets show as Hristova returned from injury to score a then
career high 36 points on 71.4% Shooting.
Both the
Cougs and the Buffs enter the game needing a win as WSU has dropped its last
three games while Colorado has dropped four-straight. The Buffs went 10-1 in
non-conference before suffering losses in all four Pac-12 contests this season.
LAST TIME
OUT
Falling
behind by as much as 21 points in the second quarter, Washington State mounted
another massive rally in the second half against Utah only to come up just
short of completing the comeback as the Utes escaped Pullman, 72-68, Friday
night in Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars would take the lead with four minutes
left in the game but went cold from the floor to close the contest. The final
nail for the Cougs came with just :16 seconds to play and down three when a
game-saving three-pointer by Chanelle Molina rimmed out and a loose ball foul
on the rebound earned Utah what amounted to be a game-icing free throw.
ALEXYSTHREE-DLUND
- THE ALL-TIME 3-PT QUEEN HITS HER 200TH 3
Already
the single-season three-point queen with 75 as a sophomore, senior Alexys
Swedlund became the programs career record holder on Sunday, Nov. 11, when the
sharp-shooter hit her 162nd career three-pointer. The record three was her
fifth of the game and pushed the senior passed Katie (Appleton) Bohnoff
(2005-09) in the Cougar annuals.
Every game
Swedlund extends her record entering the week with 200,. She hit her 200th
three against Utah Friday, Jan. 11. She has posted 43 on the year (50 gets her
again into the top-10). She hit a career-high seven three-pointers against
Wichita State to close nonconference play, a mark which ranked tied for No. 2
in single game WSU history.
She is
currently shooting 45.3% (43-of-95) from deep, the second-best percentage from
deep in WSU single-season history. Her 2.87 3PT per game ranks 3rd in the
Pac-12
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU women’s basketball loses 72-68 to Utah
Friday night in Pullman
From WSU
Sports Info
PULLMAN. -
Falling behind by as much as 21 points in the second quarter, Washington State
(6-9, 1-3) mounted another massive rally in the second half against Utah (14-1,
3-1) only to come up just short of completing the comeback as the Utes escaped
Pullman, 72-68, Friday night in Beasley Coliseum.
Storming
back over the final 20 minutes of action, the Cougars took their first and only
lead of the night midway through the fourth quarter, 66-65, only to see their
hot streak go cold over the final 4:27 of the contest. The final nail for the
Cougs came with just :16 seconds to play and down three when a game-saving
three-pointer by Chanelle Molina rimmed out and a loose ball foul on the rebound
earned Utah what amounted to be a game-icing free throw. For WSU, the rally
really started in the final minutes of the first half when Molina put together
a one-woman comeback as the junior guard outscored the Utes' 10-5 to close the
quarter and make it just a 14-point game at the break. With a three at the
buzzer, Molina finished the second quarter with 15 points to keep WSU in the
game. The Cougs would start the second half on a 15-6 run to close within five
thanks to the hot shooting of Alexys Swedlund who would hit all three of her
three-pointers in the third while Maria Kostourkova provided the muscle in the
paint with five points, five rebounds, and three blocks in the frame. In the
fourth, the Cougars used an 11-6 run to tie the game at 64-64 midway through
the final period as Borislava Hristova found a little room to work, scoring
seven of her 13 in the quarter..
Prior to
WSU's rally, Utah was able to build its huge lead in the first 15 minutes of
the game thanks to a seemingly perfect showing from the floor. Up 12 after one,
the Utes hit their next 10 shots to put the Cougars in what appeared to be an
insurmountable hole at the time. The Utes took advantage of WSU in the post
behind the play of Megan Huff and Dre'Una Edwards who scored 23 of Utah's 46
points in the half. The Utes would finish the half 20-of-29 from the floor with
13 assists.
WSU Coach Kamie
Ethridge Quote:
"Credit
to Utah. They came in and they played really fast and they got downhill and we
didn't want any part of it...When you spot a team that much it's hard to crawl
back in. Then turn around and I loved the fight in us. I thought we started to
show a little life with three or four minutes to go in that second quarter. Got
great production and great energy and aggressiveness and dealt with some
physicality in the second half. Just everything that gave us a chance to get
back in the game and a chance to win."
Info:
WSU
dropped its third-straight heart-breaker to the Utes who improved to 17-6
all-time against the Cougars. The missed comeback was the second for the
Cougars in their last three games, rallying back from 15 down at Oregon State a
week prior only to fall just short.
Three
Cougars hit double-figures in the game with Chanelle Molina and Alexys Swedlund
each scoring 17 points while Borislava Hristova chipped in 13. Hristova, the
seventh leading scorer in the nation, posted her 15th-consecutive double-digit
scoring effort.
Maria
Kostourkova just missed her third double-double of the year finishing with nine
points and 12 rebounds. She also added four assists and tied a career high with
five blocks to go along with two steals.
The Utes'
forwards led the way with 41 combined points as Megan Huff scored a game-high
21 points while Dre'Una Edwards added 20. As a team the Utes finished the game
shooting 55.8% from the floor while the Cougars ended at 47.5%.
While both
teams posted 29 made field goals, the difference in the game came at the line
as the Cougs hit 4-of-5 free throws while Utah went 11-of-18.
WSU will
take on Colorado Sunday, Jan. 13 at Beasley Coliseum. The game is scheduled for
12 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
::::::::::::::::::::
Sources:
Eastern Washington QB Gage Gubrud ‘looking at Washington State’ as potential
transfer destination
UPDATED:
Fri., Jan. 11, 2019, 8:38 p.m.
Eastern
Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud passes during the first half against
Washington State on Sept. 15 in Pullman. (Young Kwak / AP)
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
PULLMAN –
On Thursday, Gage Gubrud followed a handful of Twitter accounts associated with
the Washington State football team.
That trend
continued Friday for the Eastern Washington quarterback, who recently dropped
his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal and, provided he’s granted a sixth year
of eligibility, might be looking to play somewhere other than Roos Field.
Pullman is
apparently on the short list for the FCS All-American and two-time Walter
Payton Award finalist, and a source confirmed to The Spokesman-Review on Friday
that Gubrud is “looking at WSU” as a potential landing spot.
Another
source with access to the NCAA transfer database compared the search engine to
a “shopping list” and provided The S-R with a screenshot of Gubrud’s
“notification of transfer,” which was initiated Monday.
Gubrud
followed the official WSU football Twitter account on Thursday, along with
multiple position coaches – inside receivers coach Dave Nichol and outside
receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. On Friday, he followed Cougars running backs
coach Eric Mele and an offensive line quality control coach.
Over the
past few days, Gubrud has also followed various assistant coaches, recruiting
coordinators and player personnel staffers from other programs, including Utah,
Boise State, Mississippi State, TCU and UCLA.
For Gubrud
to play another college season, he’d first need to be granted a medical
redshirt by the NCAA. EWU’s run to the FCS national championship in Frisco,
Texas – which the Eagles lost 38-24 to North Dakota State – was a boon for the
Big Sky program in Cheney. But on a personal level, it was also a positive
twist of fate for Gubrud, who suffered a season-ending toe injury in a Sept. 29
game at Montana State.
NCAA law
states a player can only obtain a medical redshirt if he’s participated in
one-third, or fewer, of his team’s contests. Gubrud’s season ended after five
games, but because the Eagles played in three postseason games – therefore, 15
total – the QB would technically be eligible for a redshirt, though the NCAA
would still need to examine his case.
Sophomore
Eric Barriere replaced Gubrud after the toe injury and lifted the Eagles to the
second-best season in school history. It’s widely thought he’d return as Aaron
Best’s starting QB in 2019, even if Gubrud was back in the picture.
WSU is
looking to replace Gardner Minshew, the fifth-year grad
transfer-turned-national sensation who led the Cougars to the first 11-win
season in school history, guided them to a 28-26 victory over Iowa State in the
Alamo Bowl and earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading
the country in passing yards per game.
Both
quarterbacks who pushed Minshew for the starting position in the fall – Anthony
Gordon and Trey Tinsley – return as redshirt seniors in 2019. Playing sparingly
behind Minshew, Tinsley completed 7 of 9 passes for 63 yards and one touchdown.
Gordon was 3 of 5 for 17 yards and one interception.
The
Cougars will continue to develop former four-star high school prospect Cammon
Cooper, who redshirted in 2018. Another promising QB recruit, Gunner Cruz,
signed with WSU in December and is already enrolled in classes on the Pullman
campus.
All four
of those QBs will split reps during spring camp, along with walk-on John
Bledsoe and redshirt sophomore to-be Connor Neville.
More grad
transfer rumors circulated on Twitter on Thursday when the official Cougar
football account followed the account of Alabama QB Jalen Hurts, another NCAA
Transfer Portal entry.
That
prompted WSU President Kirk Schulz to voice his support for the current Cougar
QBs.
“Let’s
remember we have some pretty outstanding Coug QBs who are already enrolled at
WSU and are ready to compete. #GoCougs” Schulz tweeted.
Liam Ryan,
the Cougars’ starting left guard, posted a similar tweet Friday afternoon:
“Y’all don’t have to believe in the QBs we have right now. Keep listening to
the transfer rumors because we all trust the guys we have here.”
Leading up
to the Alamo Bowl, WSU coach Mike Leach said Tinsley and Gordon were still a
notch ahead of the other QBs on the roster and stated his confidence in both
players.
But Leach
didn’t discount the possibility of shopping for another grad transfer.
“It’s a
little early yet on that,” the coach said Dec. 17. “Really nothing specific. I
feel good about the two guys here, but then also we’ll see what’s out there as
well.”
::::::::::::::::::::::
FOOTBALL
As NFL
meets Air Raid, Mike Leach curious like the rest of us
From
Cougfan.com 1/12/2019
WASHINGTON
STATE'S MIKE LEACH on the radio Friday was asked about how he thinks the Air
Raid offense under new Arizona Cardinals head man Kliff Kingsbury will
work.
"You
know, I’m kind of curious myself," the WSU head man said on 98.7 FM
Arizona’s Sports Station. "He had a tough go at times there at Texas Tech.
But he’s a smart, sharp guy and I always enjoyed coaching him."
Kingsbury's
version of the Air Raid is of course different from Leach's -- nobody runs the
same Air Raid Leach does.
For
starters, Tech attempted 535 passes last season (No. 3 nationally) and ran the
ball 437 times. Washington State led
the nation by far with 677 pass attempts, with 281 rushing attempts.
Related:
Leach says maybe Earth is cold and The Sun is warm
But that's
unlikely to stop the masses from tabbing the Air Raid in the NFL, as either a
success or a failure, based on what happens this coming season with Kingsbury
and the Cardinals. The premise is also flawed because, as Leach has mentioned
many time before, the NFL has been using Air Raid concepts for a while
now. Leach said on Friday his offensive
philosophy at WSU is predicated on two things.
“I
wouldn’t say there’s pillars. The two things that I always try to focus on is
you want to attack the whole field ... sideline to sideline, and about 30 yards
downfield. You also want to get it in everybody’s hands. I think within that —
I think that’s what you’re trying to scheme your way through. I think that’s
just efficient, good offense ... If you want to have a good offense, you
utilize all your resources, which is your space and your personnel," said
Leach.
Leach also
said the hash marks in the NFL being more towards the center of the field are
beneficial rather than a drawback, and explained why he doesn't utilize a tight
end; "The trouble is God only made a few true tight ends and most of them
are playing defensive line."
Leach was
also asked if he likes the term: Air Raid offense.
“Well, I actually
invented it. This was back at Iowa Wesleyan College," said Leach.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;
Utah beat
writer Kragthorpe tells CF.C (Cougfan.com) this is men’s basketball WSU's best
shot
By Braden
Johnson Jan 11, 5:10 PM Cougfan.com
KURT
KRAGTHORPE, who has covered Utah athletics for the Salt Lake Tribune since
1990, told CF.C in an exclusive Q&A that Saturday’s game between Washington
State and Utah (5 pm Pacific, Pac-12 Network) is as good an opportunity the
Cougars have had to beat the Utes under Ernie Kent. WSU (7-8, 0-2 Pac-12) has
dropped all eight meetings to Utah since Kent took the reins in Pullman in
2015, but the Utes (7-8/1-2) are vulnerable, Kragthorpe said, behind a young
roster and suspect defense.
Kragthorpe
also touched on Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak’s tenure, the Utes' surprisingly
strong showing against the Arizona schools and how he sees Saturday playing
out. Note: This interview was conducted before Utah lost 69-53 to UW on
Thursday night.
1.
COUGFAN.com: Between playing No. 10 Nevada tough for 20 minutes, beating
Arizona State in Tempe and taking Arizona to overtime the last three games, are
the Utes starting to find some consistency against tougher opponents?
Utah's
performances at Arizona State and Arizona definitely improved the outlook for
this team. If anybody had told me as of midway through the first half at ASU
(with Utah trailing 28-11) that the Utes would beat ASU and take Arizona into
overtime, I certainly wouldn't have believed it. I'm viewing [the WSU and UW
games] as Utah's chance to validate its showing in the desert and raise the
expectations for the team above its eighth-place forecast in the Pac-12.
2.
COUGFAN.com: WSU is 0-8 vs. Utah under Kent, but with Krystkowiak being tasked
with replacing Justin Bibbins and David Colette, is this as vulnerable as Utah
has been since the start of Krystkowiak's tenure?
Along
those lines, this Ute team is even worse defensively than in Krystkowiak's
first season of 2011-12, also Utah's first season in the Pac-12. That team
finished 6-25 overall and 3-15 in the conference. Clearly, this group has
enough offensive firepower to exceed that finish, but to think the Utes will
place in the conference's top four for a fifth straight year is a big stretch.
So, yes, any team in the Pac-12 has a decent shot of beating the Utes, even in
the Huntsman Center.
3.
COUGFAN.com: Only WSU and Cal are worse than Utah in scoring defense in the
Pac-12. That's a departure from past Krystkowiak-coached teams. What's your
take on the drop-off, and how has Krystowiak chalked up the Utes' defensive
performance?
I got
ahead of myself! Absolutely, Utah's defense has struggled. The Utes are ranked
No. 287 by kenpom.com in adjusted defensive efficiency. Krystkowiak knew this
roster would have some defensive issues, partly due to youth, and some
personnel losses (guard Vante Hendrix's leaving the program in November and
freshman center Lahat Thioune breaking his foot in October) have made it worse.
He once thought he would have a "junkyard dog" second unit that
pressed and trapped, but the Utes don't have the required depth. So they just
keep trying to improve, with occasional signs of progress.
4.
COUGFAN.com: What is it about Krystkowiak and his coaching philosophy that has
made him a good fit in Salt Lake City over the years?
Larry
Krystkowiak has succeeded in this market because of a philosophy that mirrors
the Utah Jazz's approach, after he played for the legendary Jerry Sloan. His
Utah teams have always defended well and shared the basketball. The problem
this season is those elements have mostly been lacking, although the element of
unselfish offense has made a comeback lately.
5.
COUGFAN.com: Who or what is your x-factor to watch for on Saturday, and who
wins?
The most
encouraging sign for Utah on the Arizona swing was the emergence of sophomore
forward Donnie Tillman, who had been slumping. He broke out with games of 22
and 21 points, after his previous career high was 20. So if Tillman continues
to be a complement to senior guard Sedrick Barefield, and the Utes play even
serviceable defense, they should beat the Cougs. But they're certainly not good
enough to just show up and think they'll do that, as in the past.
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