12/21/2019 from WSU Sports Info
Next
opponent (in Pullman): Arkansas-Pine Bluff
12/29/2019
| 5:00 PM
PAC-12
NETWORKS
For the second-straight contest the Washington State men's
basketball team (8-4) came up with a season-best in scoring as the Cougars ran
past Incarnate Word (3-9), 87-59, Saturday evening at Beasley Coliseum. The
Cougs used a balanced attack to win their fifth-straight contest as five
different scorers went for double-figures led by a Isaac Bonton's 19.
The Cougs' top scorer, CJ Elleby chipped in 13 while Aljaz
Kunc added 13, Jeff Pollard tallied 11, and Tony Miller finished with 10.
Pollard and Miller did their damage on just 13 shots going a combined 10-of-13
from the floor as the Cougs finished 34-of-69 (49.3%) from the field as a team.
Breaking the game open for the first time, the Cougs turned
a two-point game into a commanding 16-point advantage in a matter of minutes
thanks to a 21-7 run late in the opening half. After seeing their fast star
cooled and the Cardinals climb back into the game at 18-16, it was Bonton who
put the Cougs on his back as the junior-transfer found his offense stroke,
scoring 12 of his 19 in just five minutes time. With Bonton leading the charge
the Cougars pushed the lead to 39-23 with a little over four minutes to play in
the half. The Cougs run was bolstered by their defense as they shut down the
Cardinals' attack from deep, allowing UIW to his only one of their final seven
from behind the arc after beginning the game a perfect 3-for-3.
Bonton would put the finishing touches on a masterful half
with a final layup in the final seconds of the half to push his total to 14
points in 12 minutes of play in the opening half as the Cougs took the lead
into the break for the 11th time in 12 games on the year.
The second half was much the same for the Cougs as the
Cardinals opened the half scoring at a 50% clip from the field keeping the game
from getting completely out of control in WSU's favor. However, trading baskets
would not be enough for UIW as the Cougars maintained their halftime advantage
using a balanced inside, outside, attack. The final dam would burst at almost
the exact same point as the first half when WSU mounted a 10-0 run in just two
and half minutes time to push the lead to 27. During the rally five different
Cougs came up with points, getting to the basket at will to do the bulk of
their damage.
In all, WSU dominated the game in the paint outscoring the
Cardinals 46-28 while outrebounding their opponents 53-27 including grabbing 20
offensive rebounds that led to 20 second-chance points. The rebounding was led
by Bonton on the perimeter as the guard nabbed a career-best 12 boards to tally
his first double-double in a Cougars uniform.
WSU is back in action Dec. 29 when the Cougs host Arkansas
Pine-Bluff in the final non-conference game of the year. The contest is
scheduled for 5 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network and is part of a double-header with
the Cougars' women's team. The women’s team plays the UW.
::::::::::
UPDATED:
Sat., Dec. 21, 2019
Washington State guard Isaac Bonton scored 19
points against Incarnate Word of Texas on Dec. 21, 2019, in Pullman.
By Peter Harriman
Spokane S-R
Incarnate
Word coach Carson Cunningham has a PhD in history and is the author of five
books on subjects as diverse as the Chicago Cubs and “Huckleberry Finn.”
What he
couldn’t write up, however, was a way to get his Cardinals to shut down
Washington State in the lane or keep them off the glass Saturday afternoon.
Incarnate Word couldn’t generate much offense beyond an early flurry of
3-pointers in a game in which WSU forged a 19-point halftime lead and cruised
to an 87-59 victory at Beasley Coliseum.
Isaac
Bonton had a breakthrough performance for the Cougars (8-4) with a game-best 19
points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Bonton was 7 of 16 from the floor,
including 2 of 4 on 3-pointers.
“He is
really aggressive. He had a little rough start, too. But I told him to keep
playing,” WSU coach Kyle Smith said. “When he gets penetration, good things
happen to us.”
A couple
of Bonton’s assists were highlight quality. He flipped a ball behind his back
to CJ Elleby trailing him down the lane for a layup, and he fired a no-look
pass from the high post to Jeff Pollard on the block.
“I love
it,” Bonton said. “When I can get other guys their stats, that feels good as a
point guard.”
For all
that, Bonton was just as eager to talk about WSU’s defense and its effort to
get kills – three stops in a row.
Pollard
showed up for the Cougs with 11 points and six rebounds, but his biggest
contribution was denying the Cardinals (3-9) in the lane.
“I love
that guy,” Smith said. “I think he is good every night. He anchors our
defense.”
Incarnate
Word never led, but after WSU went on an 11-2 run to open the game, the
Cardinals shot their way back into contention from the perimeter, keyed by
Augustine Ene’s pair of 3-pointers. The Cardinals remained resilient as Keaston
Willis sunk a shot from beyond arc to close the gap to 27-21 with 7 1/2 minutes
left in the half. From there, though, the Cardinals gradually lost ground,
falling behind 46-27 at the break.
Incarnate
Word got within 15 points midway through the second half after converting a
pair of WSU turnovers and a missed 3-point try into layups. But the Cougars
stopped dumping ill-advised passes into the post and took away that
opportunity.
A Pollard
3-pointer and an Elleby drive restored WSU’s lead to 20, and the Cardinals
couldn’t slow the Cougars over the final 9 minutes.
WSU
dominated, especially in rebounding with a 53-27 advantage. The Cougars were
efficient from the floor, hitting 34 of 69 shots (49.3%). The Cardinals shot
just 25% (8 of 32) in the first half and only improved to 34.4% (22 of 64) for
the game.
Guards
Dwight Murray and Drew Lutz led Incarnate Word with 10 points each.
“I like
their guards,” Smith said, noting the Cardinals had something of a perimeter
game early, using ball screens and kicking outside after drawing in the defense
to get good 3-point looks. Incarnate Word hit 4 of 10 3-pointers in the first half
but faded off in the final half, making just 1 of 7.
Elleby and
Aljac Kunc contributed 13 points apiece for WSU. Kunc made 3 of 6 from beyond
the arc.
“If
they’re going to let me get open, I’m going to shoot it,” Kunc said.
The
Cougars host Arkansas Pine Bluff on Dec. 29, their last nonconference game
before opening Pac-12 play against USC on Jan. 2 in Pullman.
::::
WSU Women basketball Cougs battle; WSU’s Chanelle
Molina collects double-double, but team falls 74-68 to Miami (RV) at 2019 Miami
Holiday Classic
Next Game:
Washington
12/29/2019
| 2:00 PM
PAC-12
NETWORKS
MIAMI --
The Washington State University women's basketball team was handed a
hard-fought 74-68 loss to the University of Miami (RV) in a back-and-forth
affair on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the final game of the 2019 Miami Holiday
Classic.
In a
contest that featured eight lead changes and three ties, the Cougs took a 57-56
lead with 6:30 left to play in the fourth quarter after a Johanna Muzet layup
and forced the Hurricanes to call a timeout. Miami responded with
seven-straight points over the next three minutes out of the break to jump out
to a six-point advantage with 3:38 remaining in the game.
Trailing
by seven points with just 0:49 on the clock, the Cougs were able to pull within
a single basket after a Jovana Subasic three-pointer made it 71-68 with 18
seconds remaining. Miami went 1-of-2 at the free throw line on the following
possession to keep the Cougar's hopes alive, but the WSU rally was thwarted
after missing a three-point shot in the corner with eight seconds remaining.
Senior
Chanelle Molina paced the Cougars with 17 points and 13 rebounds to post her
first double-double of the 2019-20 season. The 5-9 senior achieved the feat
after just two quarters of play by tallying 12 points and 10 rebounds in the
first two frames to put Washington State up by three at the half, 35-32.
Molina's
17-point performance led a group of four double-digit scorers on the afternoon
for WSU. Redshirt senior Borislava Hristova collected 16 points, while Subasic
(13 pts) and sophomore Ula Motuga (11 pts) rounded out the quartet.
Today's
game rounds out the non-conference portion of the WSU schedule, as the Cougs
stand at 7-5 after 12 games played. Washington State will now spend the next
seven days away from competition for the holidays before returning to open
Pac-12 play on Dec. 29 against in-state rival Washington inside. Tip-off for
the Boeing Apple Cup Series contest is set for 2 p.m. PT in Beasley Coliseum.
COUG
QUOTES
Head coach
Kamie Ethridge on Today's Loss:
"I
thought we really competed hard. It hurts when you play hard, have chances and
you don't finish. We had to fight through fatigue with some of our players,
we're trying to stretch our starters a lot, and just had some bad possessions.
We didn't have a great third quarter and we let them hit some shots and gain
some confidence, then it was just an uphill battle the rest of the way. We got
the looks we wanted, but didn't shoot the percentage that we needed (to
win)."
Coach
Ethridge on Building Momentum in a Tough Loss to go into Pac-12 Play:
"What
a great contrast to yesterday in how we competed today. We forced Miami to make
plays against us. We ran our stuff pretty easily, and there were things that
happened that next time they come up we'll handle it better. We really handled
a super-athletic team today and played with them in so many ways. We had every
opportunity to win this game, but there is a lot of encouragement in what we
can become and what this kind of (non-conference) schedule has prepared us for
the Pac-12."
COUG NOTES
- Senior
Chanelle Molina registered a career high rebounds with 13 en route to her
second career double-double.
- Redshirt
senior Borislava Hristova and redshirt junior Jovana Subasic extend their
double-digit scoring streaks with 16 and 13 points respectively. Today's effort
extends Hristova streak to six games, while Subasic pushes hers to five games
in a row.
- With 14
team assists this afternoon, Washington State has now collected 10-or-more
assists in five-straight games.
-
Sophomore Ula Motuga tallied a season-high 11 points against the Hurricanes.
It's the first double-digit scoring performance for the Logan, Australia native
this season.
- With 16
points against the Hurricanes, redshirt senior Borislava Hristova gives her
1,929 points in her career and she is now 39 points away from breaking the WSU
all-time scoring record held by Jeanne Eggart (1977-82).
:::
WSU
football
‘Delightful clash of contrasts’: What national
writers are saying about Washington State’s Cheez-It Bowl matchup with Air
Force
By Theo Lawson of the S-R of Spokane/Inland
Empire
12/21/2019
CHEEZ-IT
BOWL
At Chase
Field, Phoenix
➤Friday, Dec. 27: Air
Force Falcons vs. Washington State Cougars, 7:15 p.m. PDT TV: ESPN
PULLMAN –
It may not carry the same appeal or prestige as last year’s Alamo Bowl against
Iowa State, or even the prior two Holiday Bowl appearances versus Big Ten
opposition, but Washington State’s Friday matchup with Air Force in the
Cheez-It Bowl should still be more than palatable for Cougars fans.
Many
national media outlets also suspect it could be one of the more riveting bowls
not on the New Year’s Six slate.
The
Cheez-It Bowl, which kicks off at 7:15 p.m. at Chase Field in Phoenix, will be
one of the final appetizers before bowl season serves up its two main courses
less than 24 hours later – national semifinal games that pit No. 1 LSU against
No. 4 Oklahoma, and No. 2 Ohio State against No. 3 Clemson.
“We’re all
going to be a little sleep deprived on Semifinal Saturday because Mike Leach
has a 10:15 p.m. ET kickoff the night before, and his quarterback, Anthony
Gordon, averages 54 attempts per game. #CheezItAfterDark,” wrote The Athletic’s
Stewart Mandel, who ranks the Cheez-It Bowl No. 18 among all bowl games and No.
12 among non-NY6 games.
The game’s
intrigue mostly surrounds the contrasting offenses fans will see – Leach’s Air
Raid, which has put up 39.2 points per game this season, and Troy Calhoun’s
triple-option, also scoring at a high clip (34.3 ppg).
“There’s a
high intrigue factor here with the contrast in styles,” wrote USA Today’s Eddie
Timanus, listing the game at No. 14 on his bowl watchability rankings. “The
Falcons will look to possess the ball with their punishing option game and keep
Anthony Gordon and the Cougars’ (Air Raid) attack off the field.”
The 2019
Cheez-It Bowl may piggyback on the success of last year’s game, which was low
on offense but high on entertainment. TCU and Cal needed four quarters and an
overtime period to score just 17 total points. The Horned Frogs won 10-7.
“What a
delightful clash of contrasts. Air Force (10-2) ranks third in the country in
rushing offense, while Washington State leads the nation in passing,” Patrick
Stevens of the Washington Post wrote. “Both teams have quirky coaches (the
Falcons’ Troy Calhoun and the Cougars’ Mike Leach), and last year’s edition of
this game was a glorious absurdity, with Cal and TCU combining for nine
interceptions in the Horned Frogs’ 10-7 overtime win. It’s all enough to help
you ignore Wazzu’s 6-6 record.”
Stevens
ranked the Cheez-It Bowl No. 9 on his scale. Ross Dellenger of Sports
Illustrated was more generous, placing it No. 5 behind only the Peach Bowl,
Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl and Citrus Bowl.
“Watch it
because … of last year’s game (and this particular matchup),” Dellenger wrote.
“Who can forget last year’s instant classic, a 10-7 TCU win over Cal in
overtime? Expect more points this year. Mike Leach and his Air Raid meet Troy
Calhoun and his spread triple-option attack.”
The
Falcons (10-2) are favored to beat the Cougars (6-6) by three points. But
national pundits are largely split on the game – some figuring Leach, Gordon
and the Air Raid will have the firepower to outscore Air Force, and others
presuming WSU’s defense will splinter against Calhoun’s unique offense.
“Last
year’s Cheez-It Bowl was a glorious 10-7 OT debacle between Cal and TCU. So bad
it was great,” wrote Ralph Russo, a national college football writer for the
Associated Press. “This year features the yin and yang of college football. Air
Force’s triple-option averages 57 rushes per game. Wazzu’s Air Raid attack
averages 56 passes per game.”
Russo is
picking Air Force to win 31-27. Two of the three writers from Athlon Sports who
predicted every bowl game chose the Cougars.
Mandel
also thinks Air Force will win, pointing out “Mike Leach is 1-8 against the
spread in his last nine bowl games, per ESPN’s Chris Fallica. One could easily
see the Cougs laying an egg here.”
Jon
Wilner, who runs the “Pac-12 Hotline” for the Mercury News in San Jose,
California, likes Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl.
“We’re
unsure of WSU’s focus following a letdown season,” he wrote. “We’re wary of
WSU’s offense operating efficiently (Anthony Gordon: nine interceptions in his
past five games). And we’re deeply skeptical of WSU’s defense rising to the
moment against the triple-option.”
The Loop,
an off-shoot of Golf Digest, compiled “Our favorite bet for all 40 college
football bowl games” on Friday. Regarding WSU-Air Force, the website chose to
focus on the likelihood of a high-scoring shootout. Vegas odds anticipate that
more than 67 points will be scored between the teams.
“A total
of 67.5 is nothing to bat your eyes at, but Air Force and Washington State can
handle it, with the latter stretching games out by throwing the ball more than
any other team in the nation. Let games like Washington State’s 67-63 loss to
UCLA and Air Force’s 56-25 victory over Hawaii give you faith.”
ESPN.com
selected a “key player” from each team, going with a QB from each team: WSU’s
Gordon and Air Force’s Donald Hammond III.
On Hammond
III: “The junior from Georgia distributes the ball perfectly in Air Force’s
attack, and about four times per game he hits a deep ball. This offense is
dynamite under his command.”
On Gordon:
“(He) enters the game with 5,228 yards passing and needs 605 to break the
single-season FBS record (5,833) that B.J. Symons set while playing for Mike
Leach at Texas Tech in 2003.”
ESPN also
came up with a “storyline to watch” for both teams.
For Air
Force: “Seven of the past eight Air Force seasons have produced either 10 wins
or a losing record. All or nothing! But a bowl win would provide something new:
the first 11-win season of Troy Calhoun’s tenure.”
And WSU:
“A win would make for some interesting history. Despite having existed since
1894, the Washington State football team has never won bowl games in
back-to-back seasons.”
Yahoo! and
ESPN also went down the list and singled out the top NFL draft prospect in
every bowl game. They came to a consensus in the Cheez-It Bowl: Gordon.
On a
lighter note, Fansided ranked all 39 games by their name/sponsor, placing teams
in six categories: “F tier,” “D tier,” “C tier,” “B tier,” “A tier” and “God
tier.” The Cheez-It Bowl graded out in the “God tier” along with two other
peculiarly named bowls: the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl and the Tony the
Tiger Sun Bowl.
“Even with
just one game under its belt – one which quickly became legendary as the
‘Cheez-Int Bowl’ – this has the feel of a bowl/sponsor match that is going to
go down in the annals of college football history,” writer Rob Wolkenbrod
wrote. “Or at least social media history, and that’s probably almost as good as
we head further into the 21st century.”
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