Cougs earn statement win in Spokane

SPOKANE — The Washington State Cougars (8-9) defeated Oregon State 81-67 to win their second straight game Sunday. Head coach David Riley said the win was a nice momentum booster for what they have been working on as of late.   

“We got to continue to trust the offense,” Riley said in a press conference. “All game today the ball was zipping around and then defensively just a little bit more talk and more urgency. Talk builds trust and that’s something we did a better job of today.”   

The Cougars came out firing, winning the opening tip and sparking a 14-4 run to build an early 10-point lead, according to a statement from WSU athletics. After the Beavers found their footing, the sides settled into a back-and-forth first half. WSU never relinquished the lead, despite the Beavers pulling with a possession on two occasions in the opening stanza.  

ND Okafor and Jerone Morton each scored 13 points, alongside Eemeli Yalaho with 11. WSU controlled the key, outscoring Oregon State 34-26 in the paint and outrebounding the Beavers 38-25. Washington State punished OSU on the offensive glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds, led by Okafor with four, and scoring 15 second-chance points.  

Riley was complimentary of Morton’s recent contributions to the team and said a reset has helped him come along.   

“He’s done a great job of playing to his strengths the last few games,” Riley said. “It's hard when you're in a new system across the country from where you've been your whole life. It was just a lot of learning for him, and he was a little quieter. He wasn't as forceful defensively as we knew he could be, and he went home to Mom and had a good Christmas and kind of got to reset. Everything sunk in a little bit and I just think he's playing a lot more confidently and just playing like himself now.”  

Adria Rodriguez delivered a career-high seven rebounds to lead WSU over the Beavers at Veterans Arena for the first time since 2017. The Cougars improved to 4-0 all-time against Oregon State in the Lilac City, and 24-19 overall at Spokane Arena. 

Oregon State made one final push in the final 10 minutes, closing WSU's 20-point lead to within 10 points. However, WSU converted from the free throw line, finishing 7-of-7 from the charity stripe in the four minutes and maintained a double-digit lead until the final buzzer.  

According to Oregon State Athletics, Dez White led the Beavers with 16 points, going 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Isaiah Sy hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. Yaak Yaak went 4-for-6 to end his day with nine points, and Matija Samar also scored nine points. Keziah Ekissi made his first start as a Beaver. As a team, Oregon State shot 44 percent from the floor in the contest.  

The Cougars return to the road after a week's rest to face the Saint Mary's Gaels on Saturday, Jan. 10, at Moraga, Calif. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.   

BOX SCORE:  

OSU: 33-34: 67  

WSU: 47-34: 81