Huskies rally from 13 down to defeat Cougs 59-55 for season sweep!

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(20-8,13-3) led by freshman Tony Wroten scoring a game high 21 points rallied from 13 points down to once again shock their cross state rivals Washington State Cougars(14-14,6-10) for the season sweep. The Huskies remain tied for first place in the Pac-12 with this comeback victory over the Cougars which marked the second time this year the Huskies trailed by over 10 points against the Cougars with 10 minutes to go and won. Free throw shooting was the story this game and it was the Huskies who shot well making 15-19 free throws in the second half while the Cougars made only 6-20 at the line in the second half. The Huskies have now won four games in a row and 9 out of 10 games overall. On a night when Terrence Ross fouled out scoring just two points the Huskies found a way to win the game. Trailing 47-34 with a little over 10 minutes left in the game the Huskies appeared headed towards a disappointing loss. Instead the Huskies went on a 13-0 run to tie the game and saw their junior point guard Abdul Gaddy take over down the stretch scoring six straight points for the Huskies. This was a total team effort for the Huskies as they won their 20th game for the fourth straight season for the first time in program history. In the previous five seasons Lorenzo Romar has won 20 games or more his team has made the NCAA tournament.

The game started off well for the Huskies as they sprinted out to a quick 6-0 lead over the Cougars who were playing in front of their home crowd for the last time this season. After that the Cougars responded with a 14-0 run to go up 14-6 over the Huskies as the Cougars started to smell the upset. The Huskies would respond with an 8-0 run of their own as Wroten ended the run with a layup then C.J. Wilcox hit back to back three pointers to tie it up at 14. Wilcox would hit two more three pointers to give the Huskies a 20-18 lead. Trailing 28-26 before halftime Wroten tied it up with 10 seconds to go in the half with a layup.

The numbers weren't pretty for either team. For the Cougars they shot just 8-30(26.7%) from the field, 1-11(9.1%) from three point range but made 11-12(91.7%) from free throws and out rebounded the Huskies 26-16 including 10 offensive rebounds. They were led by Brock Motum who scored 10 points but made just 4-11 shots while grabbing four rebounds. Marcus Capers scored six points on two for three shooting with four rebounds and three assists. Abe Lodwick scored two points with five rebounds.

For the Huskies they shot miserable as well making 11-30(36.7%) of their field goals, 4-12(33.3%) on three pointers and just two for five(40.0%) on free throws. They were led by C.J. Wilcox off the bench with 12 points making all four of his three point attempts. Tony Wroten scored 10 points on 4-11 shooting with three rebounds and three assists. Aziz N'Diaye scored four points on two for three shooting with three rebounds but also had three fouls. Terrence Ross was held scoreless missing all three field goals as he had three fouls as well. In the second half Ross would immediately pick up his fourth foul and the Huskies were in trouble early.

In the second half after Ross immediately had to sit with his fourth foul it appeared the game was getting away from the Huskies as the Cougars went on a 12-0 run to lead 45-32 which included a Huskies technical foul. Leading 47-34 with about 10 minutes left the Huskies appeared dead. That is when the comeback started to take place as Wroten kept driving to the hole. Gaddy threw a beautiful alley-oop to Ross to pull within 47-40. Wroten would have a three point play and then N'Diaye would as well. Darnell Gant would sink a free throw which tied the score at 47 as the Huskies went on a 13-0 run to tie it up. Trailing 52-50 Gaddy had a layup to tie up the score. Gaddy then drove to the hole drawing a foul sinking both free throws giving the Huskies a 54-52 lead with 3:43 left. After the Cougars had tied it up Gaddy again would have the goahead layup to give the Huskies a 56-54 lead with 2:13 left in the game. After Reggie Moore made one of two free throws then Tony Wroten made one of two free throws the Cougars had the ball trailing 57-55 with 24 seconds left. Ken Bone designed the play for Patrick Simon to shoot the goahead three pointer. Simon who hadn't played all game long and has made just one field goal in the calender year of 2012. Simon would air ball the corner three pointer which was wide open. Wilcox would sink both free throws to give the Huskies a 59-55 lead with 10 seconds left. Simon would then miss another three pointer as time had expired. The Huskies had stormed back to defeat the Cougars once again. Dating back to last year this is the third straight win for the Huskies against the Cougars and all three games the Cougars had double digit leads.

For the Cougars this loss has to sting as this was their national championship game. Sitting at 14-14 now and 6-10 in conference play with two games left on the road where they are just 1-6 on the road in conference play doesn't look good for the Cougars. The Cougars twice this year had the Huskies right where they wanted them and just couldn't finish the deal. The Cougars for the game shot 18-52(34.6%) from the field, a dreadful 2-18(11.1%) from three point range and a miserable 17-32(53.1%) from free throws including 6-20(30.0%) in the second half. Despite outrebounding the Huskies 38-33 with 12 offensive rebounds the Cougars they couldn't pull this one out. They were led by the conferences leading scorer in conference games Brock Motum who had to work for his 17 points shooting just 7-19 from the field, making one of four from three point range and two for four at the free throw line. Motum did grab eight rebounds and had three block shots. Marcus Capers had a terrific game for the Cougars scoring 14 points on six for seven shooting but was two for five on free throws. Capers did  have six rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block shot. Abe Lodwick scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds before fouling out. Reggie Moore struggled scoring just four points missing all six field goals. He was also just four for eight on free throws with six assists but four turnovers. The Cougars after defeating the Huskies seven straight from 2006-08 have now lost seven out of nine since then. This will also be the fourth straight season barring a Pac-12 tournament championship win where the Cougars will be left out of the NCAA tournament.

For the Huskies this was a real gut check win on the road in a hostile environment. They had shot poorly, saw their best player foul out scoring only two points while their best big man fouled out as well as he also fought foul trouble in the first half. The Huskies won this game because they simply have too many weapons when you shut down one weapon another emerges. The Huskies won despite shooting 19-53(35.8%) from the field, 4-17(23.5%) on three point range but did make 17-24(70.8%) from the free throw line. They were led by Tony Wroten who scored 21 points on 6-18 shooting but made 9-12 from the free throw line. Wroten also added six rebounds, five assists and two steals. C.J. Wilcox scored 16 points off the bench on five for nine shooting including four for seven on three pointers while sinking both free throws. Wilcox also added five rebounds and a steal. Abdul Gaddy scored 10 points on three for nine shooting missing all four three point shots but was four for five at the free throw line. Gaddy had four assists and two steals as well. Aziz N'Diaye scored seven points on three for six shooting making his only free throw attempts while grabbing seven rebounds with a block shot before fouling out. Darnell Gant started for the second straight game scoring three points on one for three shooting and made just one for four on free throws but did have seven rebounds while playing good defense on Motum holding him to 7-19 shooting. Terrence Ross struggled having his worst game of the season scoring just two points on one for five shooting missing all three of his three point attempts before fouling out in just 21 minutes. For the Huskies this was a big win on the road as their hopes of winning a Pac-12 regular season championship remain alive and well.

For the second time this year the Huskies survived the Cougars as they stormed back from a double digit lead. The Huskies will now head down to L.A. hoping to take care of business with the sweep which would clinch at the worst a Co- Pac-12 championship in the regular season. The Cougars once again prove to be a hard matchup for the Huskies playing them tough defensively holding them to under 30 points in the first half once again. The Huskies are simply more battle tested than the Cougars as this year they win the close games. The Huskies are now 12-4 in games decided by 10 points or less and 5-3 in games decided by five points or less. Despite being such a young team the Huskies win the close games and after starting off 0-5 away from home the Huskies have since won five of six games on the road. This was a huge win for the Huskies who have came around as a team this season which has been fun to witness.

Observations:

- Shooting slump? What shooting slump? C.J. Wilcox who had been in a shooting slump before the Arizona State game has now had three straight solid games. Wilcox carried the Huskies in the first half drilling all four three point field goal attempts. In fact Wilcox was the only Husky to hit a three pointer as the Huskies were 0-10 outside of Wilcox from three point range. Wilcox who missed the first meeting was pivotal in this game in scoring 16 points with four three pointers.

Wilcox is averaging 13.8 PPG on the year shooting 42.4% from the field and 41.3% on three pointers making 2.3 a game. After making just one three pointer in his first four games back from injury he has now made at least two three pointers in five straight games. During that five game stretch(Huskies 4-1) Wilcox has hit 12-30(40.0%) from three point range which is an average of 2.4 a game while scoring 13.6 points per game so Wilcox is basically back to playing like he has before his injury. With a healthy Wilcox that gives the Huskies three scorers who are capable of carrying them at long stretches throughout the game which most teams in the conference simply don't have. The Huskies survived Wilcox's injury going 2-1 but that one loss was a 69-66 loss at home to California Golden Bears who own tiebreaker due to that. The good news is if they meet again Wilcox is back and healthy.

- Every Romar team who has made the NCAA tournament has had a slumping player emerge down the stretch which leads into a big season the following year. This year that appears to be Aziz N'Diaye and Abdul Gaddy who are both juniors. Gaddy who is a five-star recruit has been a bust to date but lately has been playing solid. He still isn't shooting very well but he is being more agressive attacking the hole. In the last two games he has attempted 11 free throws while going four straight games prior to that with zero free throw attempts. Today's game Gaddy scored six straight points for the Huskies down the stretch including the go ahead field goal to give the Huskies the lead for good.

In his last four games since the disaster in Eugene Gaddy is averaging 7.5 ppg and 5.5 APG to just 1.8 TO's which for a five star recruit isn't very good. Considering where Gaddy was at the start of the year if he continues to put up those numbers while shooting slightly better the Huskies will continue to win games. It has been nice to see Gaddy being more agressive and driving to the hole. Like Wroten he shouldn't ever shoot a three pointer as he is shooting just 29.9% on three pointers for the year. He has made just 3-17(17.6%) in his last nine games on three pointers but has made 9-11(81.8%) on free throws last two games. Gaddy needs to continue to drive to the hole for the Huskies to be successful.

- I feel like Reggie Moore and Abdul Gaddy are always going to be linked together. Had Gaddy stayed true to his committment to Arizona there is a good chance Moore is playing for the Huskies. At first Moore appeared to be the much better player after they were freshman. Now Moore appears to be sort of an egnigma for the Cougars as this year was supposed to be "his team" instead his lack of leadership has shown. Moore against the Huskies didn't make a shot in six field goal attempts while missing four of eight free throws including two straight technical fouls as the Cougars had all the momentum. Shortly after the Huskies went on a 13-0 run to tie it. Moore for the year is averaging only 9.4 PPG, 5.6 APG and 2.5 to's. He is shooting 37.6% from the field for the year as well. In seven games against the Huskies now Moore is averaging 9.6 PPG but averaging only 5.5 this year. In his career against the Huskies so far he has shot miserably making only 14-49(28.6%) from the field. Moore appears to have regressed with the Cougars and is a lightning rod for his fan base on why the Cougars continue to blow games down the stretch. Moore after a promising start to his career just like that is ending his junior season with only one year left. Moore is in danger of being like so many other players in college which was a guy who peaked as a freshman and could never quite reach that level again. Moore struggled today and Gaddy got the better of him today which if you had told me that a month ago I wouldn't have beleived you.

- A picture says a thousand words and this is Brock Motum after the Cougars once again choked to the Huskies. The Cougars are now 6-10 in games decided by 10 points or less and 3-6 in games decided by five points or less. The Cougars who are 14-14 overall but 3-10 away from home have been competitive this year just can't close games. Today was a prime example of that as they had the Huskies on the ropes. Terrence Ross was taken out of the game due to foul trouble and the Cougars were leading 47-34. The Cougars were also controlling the glass as well which was a shocker considering the last meeting. The Cougars lost due to unforced errors mainly 6-20(30.0%) at the free throw line in the second half. That is the defination of "Coug'd it" which is exactly what they did. On senior night where they had been 11-3 at home and having their rivals on the ropes this had to be a crushing defeat for the Cougars. When you lose by just four points and miss 14 freebies in the second half those are the type of losses that can destroy a team. With USC having six scholarship guys but the Cougars struggles on the road I expect them to split and go 15-15 heading into the conference tournament. The Cougars lost Klay Thompson  to the draft which hurt as they don't have a finisher on their team. Gant took away Motum leaving the Cougars with no other go to guy down the stretch. This was probably one of the more crushing defeats the Cougars basketball program has experienced in quite some years.

- In big time atmospheres Tony Wroten always seems to thrive on the pressure. Today was no different as the Huskies trailed by 13 points and Ross was out due to foul trouble. The freshman guard took it upon himself to take over the game which he did scoring 21 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out five assists and made 9-12 at the free throw line including seven for nine in the second half. Wroten proving why the Huskies are so dangerous because if you stop Ross you still have to worry about Wroten who is a future NBA player as well. Wroten with his size and quickness is a matchup nightmare for any team. Wroten made plays when the Huskies needed him to especially when the game appeared to have been slipping away. Wroten's play is reminding Huskies of the main he essentially replaced this season.

- There was a special guest at this game for the Huskies which was former Husky great Isaiah Thomas who is enjoying a fine season with the Sacramento Kings. Thomas this year is averaging 8.8 PPG and 2.9 APG in only 19 minutes. Since being named starter the last four games Thomas has averaged 19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 6.5 APG while knocking down 2.3 three pointers a game.

For Lorenzo Romar his players always come back to the program as his program is just one big family. Thomas left early but as you can see there are no hard feelings here. Romar becomes the first Huskies coach in program history to win 20+ games four years in a row. The Huskies also have won 96 games which is tied for the most wins in a four year stretch from 1950-1953. Romar is looking to make the NCAA tournament for the seventh time in nine seasons. He also improves to 12-10(6-4 at home, 5-5 on the road and 1-1 in Pac-10 tournament) all-time against the Cougars having won seven out of the last nine after the Cougars had won seven in a row. Romar has done his best coaching job since the 2008-09 team who I felt overachieved. This team has the talent but they are so young and immature at times. I feel like Romar is headed towards his third conference coach of the year award title which he deserves.

The Huskies are inching closer and closer to the NCAA tournament. Unless the Huskies lay an egg against the outmanned USC Trojans I don't see how the Huskies miss the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are playing well and winning in ways nobody thought was possible. The three point shot isn't falling at all for the Huskies this year and especially lately. The Huskies instead are winning with defense and improvement from the free throw line. Every player in the rotation appears to have improved as the season has wore on. In the past in a hostile environment on the road the Huskies would have folded the tent down 47-34 but not these Huskies. These Huskies overcome big deficits against the Cougars and UCLA to win. These Huskies win in hostile environments in Pullman and more importantly Tucson, Arizona against the Wildcats. These Huskies have so many weapons where if one has an off game(Ross) others(Wroten and Wilcox) can pick up the slack. This is a team that nobody will want to face come NCAA tournament time. The Huskies are going to be a dangerous matchup for a high seed much like last year when they gave the 2nd seeded North Carolina Tar Heels a huge run for their morning in basically a road game. These Huskies are more talented than last year and now they are playing good fundamental basketball. Romar deserves all the credit for this teams turnaround and the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year is starting to become a reality.

Ross has career high 30 points to lead Huskies over Cougars 75-65

By Kshell

It was a tale of two halves for the Washington Huskies(11-6,4-1) who defeated cross state rival Washington State Cougars(9-8,1-4) 75-65 in front of the home crowd to improve to 10-1 on the season at home. The Huskies were led by a career high 30 points by Terrence Ross who caught fire in the second half scoring 26 points which was more than the entire team scored in the first half. The overcame a 10 point deficit with 10 minutes left in the game due to their 44-20 rebounding edge which includes 21-3 on the offensive glass. The Huskies game and perhaps season was on the line when head coach Lorenzo Romar got a technical to spark his team for the comeback. This was a tale of two different halves for Terrence Ross and the Huskies team in general.

The first half the Cougars dominated from the opening tip. The Cougars took an early 9-2 lead and never looked back due to the shooting of Brock Motum. The Cougars did let the Huskies hang around as they only led 31-25 at halftime. The Cougars shot 12-26(46.2%) from the field, 5-14(35.7%) from three point range and two for five(40.0%) from free throws. Brock Motum led the Cougars with 13 points on five for five shooting including hitting both three pointers. Freshman Devonte Lacy had six points on two for seven shooting with two three pointers. For the Huskies they struggled shooting just 9-33(27.3%) from the field, making 3-13(23.1%) from three pointers and 4-10(40.0%) from the free throw line. They were led by Tony Wroten who scored seven points on only two for eight shooting and just three for six at the free throw line. Abdul Gaddy had five points on two for five shooting with a three pointer. Terrence Ross struggled big time in the first half scoring just four points on 1-10 shooting including one for five from three pointers. He also made just one for four from the free throw line but did  pull down seven rebounds. Aziz N'Diaye had four points on two for three shooting with three rebounds while Darnell Gant provided the only bench points with three points on one for two shooting with a three pointer and five rebounds. The second half especially for Ross was a different half.

In the second half the Cougars extended their lead to 45-37 when a call that went against the Huskies got Lorenzo Romar to receive his first technical of the season. After the Cougars made both technical free throws to lead 47-37 over the Huskies that is when the Huskies would go on a run. The Huskies immediatly went on a 15-2 run to lead 52-49 over the Cougars led by Ross(scored 26 in the second half) and Gant(scored 10 in the second half) while dominating the glass. The Huskies run would eventually extend to 34-11 giving them a 71-58 lead before winning 75-65. The Huskies shot much better as a team shooting 15-30 in the second half including 7-13 on three pointers. They were led by Ross who in the second half scored 26 points on 8-11 shooting while making five of seven three pointers and made all five free throws. Darnell Gant also scored 10 points in the second half shooting four for five including two three pointers. It was a great win for the Huskies to improve to 4-1 in conference play while this was a devastating loss for the Cougars who dropped 1-4 in conference play. The Cougars who had won seven in a row against the Huskies from 2006-2008 have now lost six of their last eight games in this rivalry to the Huskies.

The Cougars for the game shot 23-51(45.1%) from the field, 7-24(29.2%) from three point range and 12-16(75.0%) on free throws. They were led by Faisel Aden who scored 18 points off the bench shooting 6-13 from the field with seven rebounds. Motum scored 17 points on 7-11 shooting including two three pointers. Devonte Lacy scored 10 points on 3-9 shooting including three for eight on three pointers. Reggie Moore scored just seven points on two for seven shooting including a three pointer but did dish out eight assists. The Cougars played the same in both halves just couldn't overcome the Huskies getting redhot after that technical foul.

It was a tale of two halves for the Huskies who scored only 25 points in the first half then scored 50 in the second half. The Huskies had more offensive rebounds(21) than the Cougars had rebounds(20). The glass was dominated by the Huskies 44-20 over the Cougars which was the story of this game. The Huskies shot poorly from the field 24-63(38.1%) from the field, 10-26(38.5%) from three point range and 17-28(60.7%) from the free throw line. The Huskies caught hot in the second half and dominated the glass is how they won. They were led by Pac-12 player of the week Terrence Ross who scored 30 points on 9-21 shooting including 6-12 from three point range and was six of nine at the free throw line. Ross also grabbed a career high 14 rebounds including five offensive. The next leading scorer was Darnell Gant off the bench scoring 13 points on five for seven shooting including three for five on three point range while grabbing eight rebounds with five being offensive. Tony Wroten struggled scoring only 13 points on 3-14 shooting including 7-13 from the free throw line. Wroten had four assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Aziz N'Diaye had another strong game scoring 12 points on four for five shooting including making all four of his free throws. N'Diaye added eight rebounds and a block shot as well. Abdul Gaddy shot terribly from the field scoring only five points on 2-10 shooting with a three pointer but did have four rebounds and six assists. Desmond Simmons scored just two points on one for six shooting but did pull down seven rebounds including four offensive. The Huskies won this game by Ross getting hot and controlling the glass.

All in all, without C.J.Wilcox for a while the Huskies basically only have six scholarship guys who are contributing on their roster. This is the thinnest roster Romar has ever had and is lacking in maturity as his three best players are underclassman. Which is why Romar had to resort to getting a technical to wake up his team who was sleep walking in the first half. That technical appeared to have work but Romar can't be doing that every game. The key to this game was hopefully this is just the start of a breakout season for Ross who up to this point was having a solid season even if he is capable of so much more. The big man play dominated this game which was supposed to be a weakness heading into the year has slowly turned into a strength in conference only having one bad game(Colorado). With Wilcox hurt all six of those guys must step up their game as the rest of the team has shown they aren't ready yet at least this year anyways. This was a good win for the Huskies as it is always nice to defeat your rivals.

Observations:

- Terrence Ross will grab the headlines for this game and trust me I'll talk about him later. Another big factor in the Huskies win today was the play of their big men. Aziz N'Diaye scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Darnell Gant added 13 points with eight rebounds and Desmond Simmons added only two points but seven rebounds too. Combined the Huskies big man trio played 78 minutes scoring 27 points with 23 rebounds. The Huskies big men controlled the glass and also provided some scoring in the paint.

For the year now N'Diaye is actually having a pretty solid season now. In 23.5 minutes per game he is averaging 8.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG with 1.5 blocks per game. He is shooting 53.1% from the field as well. This past week both Husky wins N'Diaye averaged 13.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG with a block shot a game. He also shot 9-13(69.2%) from the field and 8-13(61.5%) from the free throw line. N'Diaye gives the Huskies a huge advantage as most teams don't have a seven footer and his improvement from last season has really helped the overall big man play for the Huskies this season.

Darnell Gant also had a great game playing a career high 33 minutes as he scored 13 points with eight rebounds. The senior captain has been recently benched but there will be no pouting from Gant who has started off and on his entire career. Gant for the season is averaging 7.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game in 22.2 minutes. He is shooting 51.6% from the field and 40.7% from three point range making a little over half a three pointer a game.  Gant needs to continue having games like he did against the Cougars for the rest of the season if this team wants to play in the NCAA tournament.

- Tony Wroten probably had his worst game as a Husky against the Cougars. He struggled against the zone shooting only 3-14 and missing all three of his three point attempts. In fact Wroten should just stop shooting three pointers all together as he as only made 6-30(20.0%) from three point range. In his last seven games he has shot a miserable 1-15(6.6%) from three point range.

Wroten's game is driving to the basket as he has attempted 31 free throws the last two games. Unfortunately he has only made 19 of them which is good for 61.2%. Not all is bad with Wroten in fact he is having a first team all league season averaging 16.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.4 APG as well as 1.9 steals per game. Wroten is also only a true freshman who has shown great talent. He just needs to work on his fundamentals like free throws and stop shooting three pointers he should be unstoppable.

- The Huskies finally got that breakthrough game from Terrence Ross they had been looking for all season long. Ross who is projected by some draft sites to be a top 10 pick in this upcoming NBA draft. Ross as you saw in the second half is a good rebounder for his size, greater shooter, and super athletic(alley-oop dunks). Ross after shooting 1-10 in the first half shot 8-12 in the second half including five for seven on three pointers. Ross scored more points(26) in the second half than the Huskies did as a team in the first half(25). Ross finished the game scoring a career high 30 points and grabbing a career high 14 rebounds. Giving the Cougars a taste of their own medicine as Klay Thompson a lottery pick had done to them in all three games last season.

For the year now Ross is averaging 15.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG with 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 45.6% from the field, 41.0% on three pointers making two a game and 72.3% from the free throw line. Lately Ross has been shooting really well from beyond the arc. In his last five games Ross has shot 15-29(51.7%) from three point range. In his last three games he has shot 11-19(57.8%) from three point range. Ross has all the talent in the world and nights like this should be more normal than the exception.

- Romar teams who make the NCAA tournament have always had upperclassman leadership. In the 2003-04 season you had a junior Will Conroy(3rd best player on team), in 2004-05 you had senior Conroy, juniors Brandon Roy and Nate Robinson all three where your best players, in 2005-06 it was Roy and Bobby Jones his two best players who were both seniors. Then next two years there wasn't much upperclassman so the Huskies failed to reach the dance then in 2008-09 season you had seniors Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon your two best players, in 2009-2010 you had senior Quincy Pondexter your best player then in 2010-11 you had seniors Justin Holiday and Matthew Bryan-Amaning along with junior Isaiah Thomas also known as your three best players.

This year the Huskies three best players are sophomores Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox and freshman Tony Wroten. Meaning there is no leadership  on this team. Which is why this team can go toe to toe with Duke and Marquette yet look uninterested at times vs South Dakota State at home. Romar was seeing the same thing in the first 30 minutes so he decided to fire his team up with a technical. The Huskies adjusted to the zone that former assistent Ken Bone had on them by attacking the glass. Without C.J. Wilcox for a while the Huskies will have to learn how to play against the zone as they'll be seeing a ton of it.

In conclusion, I've been highly critical of Romar this season but this game he won for his guys. He saw there was no leadership once again and did something about it by being a leader. Ross then finally realized he is the best player on the court by a mile and took over in the second half. The Huskies are tied for second place at 4-1 in conference play with two more home games left. The start of the schedule was kind to the Huskies who began conference play with five of their first seven at home which for a young immature team such as this group that is needed. This week against the Bay Area teams who the Huskies have historically done well against at home will be a big test for this group especially against a veteran team like California. This was a good win and it's always nice to defeat the Cougars which the Huskies have now done six of the last eight times.

Cougars end Huskies unbeaten streak at home in shocking 80-69 win.

By Kshell

The Washington State Cougars(18-10,8-8) swept their cross state rivals the Washington Huskies(19-9,10-6) for the fourth time in six seasons. Just like the previous game the Cougars did a terrific job of defending the three point shot by the Huskies. The Cougars kept their NCAA tournament hopes alive led by Klay Thompson who scored 26 points. As for the Huskies they were led by Isaiah Thomas who scored 21 points but that wasn't enough. The Huskies at the start of the year had people talking about final fours. Now their hopes of making an NCAA tournament are definately in jeopardy. The Huskies for the second straight year will finish below where they were picked to finish in the preseason polls. The Huskies a roster full of scorers had just three guys scorer in double figures. The Cougars are the only team in college basketball to win have a winning record at Hec Ed in the last six seasons. During that span no team has beaten the Huskies more than twice at Hec Ed while the Cougars have done it four times now.

The first half featured some of the ugliest basketball you could have witnessed. Both teams looked CBI bound let alone tournament bound. The first half saw a combined 41 points, 16-61(26.2%) shooting from the field and 3-21(14.3%) shooting from three point range. This was the type of pace which favors the Cougars as the Huskies struggle in these games. After the Huskies fell behind early 11-4 they fought back to take a 15-13 lead after a Thomas layup. Then Abe Lodwick hit a three pointer to give the Cougars the lead 16-15 where the Cougars would never trail again. The Cougars took a 24-17 lead heading into halftime. The Cougars were up seven points despite shooting just 8-25(32.0%) from the field, 2-8(25.0%) from three point range but 6-7(85.7%) from the free throw line. The Cougars were led by Klay Thompson who scored eight points on two for six shooting but was three for four from free throw's. Thompson did have five turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Huskies were lucky to have been trailing by just seven points. The Huskies shot 8-36(22.2%) from the field and just a ridiculously low 1-13(7.7%) from three point range. The Huskies only attempted two free throws missing them both. The Huskies were led at halftime by Justin Holiday with five points on two for six shooting including a three pointer. Thomas scored four points on two for seven shooting. Venoy Overton provided a spark off the bench scoring four points on two for four shooting. Matthew Bryan-Amaning was held scoreless missing all five field goal attempts. Fellow big man Aziz N'Diaye scored two points on one for five shooting. The Huskies big men just like the previous meeting were letting them down.

The second half saw an increase in the scoring but unfortunately for the Huskies it was mostly done by the Cougars. Klay Thompson scored 10 points right off the bat in the second half. In fact the Cougars stretched their lead to 21 points in the second half. Not only were the Cougars upsetting the Huskies in their own building they were destroying the Huskies. The Cougars led 60-42 when the Huskies finally went on a run. The Huskies went on a 15-4 run which saw them nail three straight three pointers on three straight possessions to cut the lead to 64-57. Then Thompson committed a foul after an Overton free throw the Huskies trailed by just six points. Then the Cougars simply put the Huskies away and clinched the win 80-69.

The Cougars were led by Thompson who scored 26 points 5-13 shooting from the field, hitting three three pointers and was 13-14 from the free throw line. Thompson also turned the ball over just once after turning the ball over five times in the first 10 minutes. DeAngelo Casto had a strong game as well scoring 20 points on 6-10 shooting and was a perfect eight for eight at the foul line. Casto also pulled down 13 rebounds including four offensive. The Cougars also received 10 points from Reggie Moore on three for nine shooting. The Cougars as a team shot 21-53(39.6%) from the field, 6-21(28.6%) from three point range but won the game at the foul line. The Cougars were an amazing 32-36(88.9%) from the free throw line.

The Huskies blew a great opportunity. After the Arizona Wildcats were swept to have the Huskies be within one game of first place the Huskies laid an egg. The Huskies had a great run in the second half but the game is 40 minutes long not five. The Huskies in the second half shot better but the damage was already done in the first 30 minutes of the game. The Huskies shot 23-68(33.8%) from the field, 8-27(29.6%) from the three point range and 15-24(62.5%) from the free throw line. When the game was within six points the Huskies were 12-20(60.0%) from the foul line while the Cougars were 19-20(95.0%) from the foul line. The Huskies just like last game outrebounded the Cougars 42-35 including 23 offensive rebounds. The Huskies just like last game couldn't take advantage.

The Huskies were led by Isaiah Thomas who scored 21 points on 8-16 shooting including three three's but was just two for six from the foul line. Thomas dished out five assists in the loss. The next leading scorer was Matthew Bryan-Amaning who scored 14 points on 3-11 shooting but was eight for nine from the foul line. Bryan-Amaning did add 10 rebounds including four offensive. Justin Holiday finished with 11 points on 4-11 shooting including three three pointers with five assists. Aziz N'Diaye added six points on three for eight shooting and nine rebounds. Venoy Overton scored eight points on three for seven shooting including a three pointer. Ultimately the Huskies didn't get enough from an already thin roster that has seen two starters go down to injury.

The Huskies once again must dig themselves out of a hole they have created for themselves. For the first time all year the reality has to hit that the NCAA tournament isn't a guarantee which seems stunning. The Huskies active roster has played a combined 29 NCAA tournament games including 13 starts so there is plenty of experience on this roster. The Huskies thought they had a special season going into the year and they still could. For the second straight year it appears the Huskies backs will be against the wall for the NCAA tournament. Last year's run was nice but many forget how much they underachieved throughout the season. Now this year's group seems determine to follow that same pace but what if they don't win the Pac-10 tournament? A season which saw them ranked in the top 10 could go down the drains. What could hurt the Huskies even more is if somehow the Cougars make the NCAA tournament over them. The Huskies have two regular season games left at home against two teams who are better than Stanford, Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State you know teams who have given the Huskies fives losses already.

Observations:

- Remember when the Huskies owned Klay Thompson? yes feels like a lifetime ago doesn't it? Thompson in his first four games against the Huskies shot 10-47(21.2%) while scoring just 29 points(7.3 PPG) which were all four losses. Well now Thompson has turned that around this year scoring 51 points(25.5 PPG) while shooting 14-31(45.1%) from the field. Thompson has turned it around against the Huskies. As a Huskies fan knowing that he is a Junior I hope he goes off to end the year so he can leave early.

The scary thing for the Huskies and well for the rest of the Pac-10 is if Thompson comes back. The Cougars start four juniors and one sophomore. If Thompson were to come back they would be on the short list of favorites next year to win the Pac-10 championship. Pretty funny how things change in a short time. This is the same Cougars team that lost to Stanford at home, lost to Arizona State but can sweep the Huskies. Thompson has two home games left to prove his legacy at WSU. If the Cougars win both games they'll be 10-8 with some impressive wins. If the Cougars sweep they might have to just win one Pac-10 tournament game and they'll be going to the NCAA tournament for the third time in five years.

- Matthew Bryan-Amaning for whatever reason has struggled this year against the Cougars. On the year Bryan-Amaning is 4-19(21.0%)from the field against the Cougars. Bryan-Amaning is averaging just 10.0 PPG but 10.5 rebounds a game. This is by far the team that has given Bryan-Amaning the most trouble.

At one point it appeared to be a mental thing for Bryan-Amaning as he was missing easy layups that he is capable of making. I'll give him credit for hustling down the court and blocking shots. He was strong on the rebounds again he just had a bad game. He also logged the most minutes playing in 36 minutes. Unlike games in the past Bryan-Amaning brought the effort just couldn't hit such easy buckets while Castro got the better end of the matchup.

- Isaiah Thomas played a good second half but in the first half he was terrible. Thomas in the second half did shoot six for nine with 17 points including three three pointers. For the game Thomas finished 8-16 with 21 points hitting three three pointers and dishing out five assists. He was also two for six from the free throw line.

Thomas in the last four games has shot 12-25(48.0%) from the free throw line. Thomas who is a career 71.2% free throw shooter needs to start knocking down these FREE throws. He attacks the paint so much and he needs to make teams pay for fouling him. He is too good of a shooter to be shooting that terrible from the foul line. Free throw's has been a problem for the Huskies the last couple of years. Makes you wonder if they even practice free throw's during the practices.

- For the Lorenzo Romar critics out there this loss put more fuel to the fire. Romar in the last six years is 4-9 against the Cougars despite outrecruiting them each and every single year. This year really hurt as Romar was swept by Ken Bone who was his assistent when the Huskies were the #1 seed in the 2004-05 season. Bone many believe was the offensive geru for Romar. Romar has also lost assistent Cameron Dollar who the Huskies just defeated on Tuesday. That is the price of being a successful program other schools will snatch up your assistents. Romar has a losing record against just one Pac-10 team which is the Cougars he is now 9-10 against the Cougars.

The blueprint has been set on how to defeat the Huskies. Run a good zone and you will defeat the Huskies. Romar has done a lot of good things at Washington while he's been the coach. One thing Romar hasn't done a good job of is running a half court offense. He needs to find an offensive geru to help him out. Remember Phil Jackson who has won 11 championships needed Tex Winter to help him run the triangle offense. If Jackson needs an offensive geru than anyone can. The Huskies struggle against teams who run a good zone, slow the game down, and still can't hit their free throws. If the Huskies ever wish to go that next level Romar must swallow his pride and admit he needs help on offense.

All in all, the team takes on the personality of the leaders of the team. Two years ago Jon Brockman was that leader and everyone knew that. That team wasn't the most talented team but they overachieved to win the Pac-10 regular season championship. They were are a hard working tough team who won the close games. Last year the leader was Quincy Pondexter who may have worked even harder than Brockman. Pondexter busted his butt to improve as a player from freshman year to senior year and carried the Huskies. He took the Huskies on his back and even hit the game winning shot in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Now the leaders are all cocky. The upperclassman spend most of their time on twitter and flexing than practicing the fundamentals. These Huskies would rather look good first then win second. The Huskies need to realize that fundamentals is why the Cougars have defeated them 9 out of 13 times. The Huskies need to take a look in the mirror and less on their blackberries or iPhone. These Huskies need to get to work and they need to realize they can't afford to lose another game. One more loss and their NCAA tournament hopes could be dashed. We'll see who is going to step up on this team and be the leader. As of right now I see no leadership at all which isn't a trait of Romar teams. Romar teams always have the Seniors step up as the leaders but this group has shown no leadership. Hopefully somebody steps up and becomes a leader before this season goes down in flames.

Thompson leads Cougars to 87-80 upset win over 18th ranked Huskies

By Kshell

The Washington State Cougars(15-6,5-4) finally got that much needed big win under Ken Bone. The Cougars defeated cross state rival #18 Washington Huskies(15-5,7-2) 87-80 in front of a raucous crowd at Friel Court in Pullman. For the first time for any player on the Cougars roster they finally defeated the Huskies. Klay Thompson lead the Cougars with 25 points which is a far cry from his previous four games where he scored just 29 points total. I documented his struggles right here the other night against the Huskies. He turned those struggles around against the Huskies and it was the Huskies who struggled against the Cougars. The Cougars won a very important game to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. As for the Huskies they remain in first place in the Pac-10 at the conclusion of the first half of the Pac-10 schedule.

In the first half the Huskies got plenty of help from their role players. The Huskies were attacking the zone against the Cougars. At one point the Huskies had hit 5-11 from three point range to extend their lead to 37-33. That would be the last lead the Huskies would hold. The Cougars would start playing lockdown defense on the Huskies and go on a run going up 45-41. Before the half ended Isaiah Thomas drove to the hole and was knocked down by DeAngelo Casto with 0.3 seconds left. Thomas would sink both free throws to pull the Huskies within two points trailing 45-43. That play was important as Casto picked up his third foul of the half. The Cougars led by Klay Thompson finally scored in double figures against the Huskies had 11 points on 5-10 shooting, Casto had 11 points on five for nine shooting and grabbed five rebounds, and newcomer Faisal Aden had 10 poitns on 4-10 shooting including two three pointers.


The Huskies were led by their role players in the first half as their two stars struggled. Isaiah Thomas who didn't hold back when dissing on the city of Pullman also missed all seven field goal attempts in the first half scoring just four points. Matthew Bryan-Amaning also struggled scoring just four points while missing four of six free throws. The Huskies were bailed out by Darnell Gant who scored nine points on three for four shooting including a three poitner. Gant also had three rebounds and three assists off the bench. The Huskies also had Scott Suggs who scored seven points on three for four shooting including a three and Terrence Ross who scored eight points on three for seven shooting including two threes help lead the Huskies. Justin Holiday scored seven points with four rebounds but shot just one for five from three point range.

It was hard to imagine the Huskies only being down two points with Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning shooting a combined 1-12 in the first half. The Cougars were also shooting 47.2% from the field compared to the Huskies 40.5% from the field. The Huskies were in the game due to 20 rebounds to only nine by the Cougars. The Huskies owned the glass with seven offensive rebounds. The Huskies were poised to have a big second half unfortunately the Cougars had other plans.


The second half began well for the Huskies. With Thomas driving to the rim constantly Casto picked up his fourth foul and Thompson picked up his third foul. The Cougars had to sit their two best players. That is when everyone figured a big run was going to happen. The problem for the Huskies is it was the Cougars who went on the run going on a 10-1 run to take a 55-44 lead. The Huskies would often pull within four or five points but could never get a key stop to pull any closer. Whenever the Huskies would cut the lead down the Cougars would often hit a wide open three point shot or get a bucket plus the foul. The Cougars finally inserted their two stars Thompson and Casto to put the game away. The Cougars had upset the Huskies 87-80 and the fans stormed the court like they had just won the national championship.

For the Cougars nobody on this roster had ever beaten the Huskies. This is easily the biggest win of the Ken Bone era who used to be a former Huskies assistent coach. Klay Thompson who had struggled in the past finally shined in his fifth carer game against the Huskies. Thompson scored 25 points on 9-18 shooting including hitting three three pointers. Thompson also added four assists and five steals to lead the Cougars upset. He received help from his teammates as well. Reggie Moore from Rainier Beach scored 18 points on four for eight shooting while Faisal Aden scored 15 points on 6-17 shooting. The Cougars shot 30-62(48.4%) from the field and 8-17 from downtown(47.1%). The only thing the Cougars did wrong was from the free throw line shooting 19-30(63.3%) but the Cougars made up for it with good team ball. The Cougars had an amazing 18 assists on their 30 made field goal attempts with just 12 turnovers. The Cougars also had 13 steals and three blocks on the day. Not often you brag about a team's defense when they allow 80 points but the Cougars defense did an exceptional job against the Huskies.


For the Huskies they have to be wondering how they lost this game. The Huskies had a great size advantage on the Cougars and dominated the glass outrebounding the Cougars 44-28 including 14 offensive rebounds. The Cougars main big man DeAngelo Casto sat most of the second half before fouling out having played just 21 minutes. The Huskies also had the Cougars in the double bonus with 10 minutes to go in the game. The Huskies were actually making their free throws too this game shooting 15-17(88.2%) in the second half on free throws. You would have thought the Huskies would have pounded the ball inside to Matthew Bryan-Amaning but instead the Huskies shot 31 three point field goal attempts making just 11.

The Huskies couldn't and especially Bryan-Amaning couldn't take advantage of their size. Bryan-Amaning who has been terrific in Pac-10 play this season finished just one for eight shooting for six points but did grab 11 rebounds. The Huskies decided to settle for three point shots as Isiah Thomas was the only one driving the lane. Thomas missed his first 10 field goals before finally hitting his last three shots. Thomas finished 3-13 with 19 points and five assists. Thomas was also 11 for 12 from free throws and did make two three pointers. Thomas also had seven turnovers on the game as he played 37 minutes at the point. The other main Husky scoring option didn't play very well either in Justin Holiday who finished with 16 points but just 4-12 shooting including 2-7 on three point shots. Holiday did collect a career high 12 rebounds including five offensive. Unlike the previous four games against Thompson he struggled to slow down Thompson today. The role players for the Huskies shined with Terrence Ross scoring 14 points on 5 for 10 shooting including four for eight on three pointers, Scott Suggs scored 12 points on 5-12 shooting in 35 minutes made just two for seven from three point range and Darnell Gant finished with nine points with a season high seven rebounds. The Huskies got great efforts from their bench but when your three stars combined to shoot 8-33(24.2%) from the field that is hard to win.

The Huskies also didn't take care of the ball enough to win as well. The Huskies turned the ball over 24 times to just 12 assists. The Huskies shot miserable too making just 23-62(37.1%) from the field and 11-31(35.5%) from threes. The Huskies did make 23-29(79.3%) from their free throws the lone positive of the game. The Huskies failed to take advantage of the Cougars foul trouble and go inside. The Huskies didn't play their best ball at all but only lost by seven points on the road.

All in all this will be a tough loss to swallow for the Huskies. Lorenzo Romar I'm sure didn't draw up a gameplan that including half the field goal attempts to be three point shots. The Huskies often times gave up easy threes and could never hit that open three point shot to make things interesting. The Huskies still went 7-2 in the first half of the Pac-10 season and are tied for first place. The Huskies must learn from this loss and use this loss to their advantage. This win is also dangerous for the Cougars as they reacted as if they won the National Championship. Still plenty of work to be done in Pullman as the Cougars are scratching and clawing their way into the NCAA tournament. Should be a fun second half of the season just remember Cougar fans you still have to come to Hec Ed where the Huskies have lost just three times the past three seasons.

Observations:
- I'll never understand why the Huskies didn't try to go inside. I know Bryan-Amaning was off but the Huskies were in the double bonus. The Cougars already lacking size had Casto on the bench whole second half yet the Huskies let the Cougars off the hook.

Thomas despite playing poorly was the only one who drove to the rim to draw those fouls. The Huskies with 10 minutes to go would get two free throws which they were making tonight everytime the Cougars fouled them didn't take advantage. Instead the Huskies settled for three point shots which of course nobody found a hot streak. The Huskies began the game 5-11 from three point shots but finished ice cold connecting on just 6-20 from beyond the arc.

This seems to be a trend for the Huskies in their losses this year which is jack up threes, get no assists while turning the ball over like crazy. Against Kentucky the Huskies shot 3-13(23.1%) from three point range while turning the ball over 14 times to just nine assists. Against Michigan State the Huskies shot 6-15(40.0%) from three point range while turning the ball over 15 times to just 13 assists. Against Texas A & M the Huskies shot 6-22(27.3%) from three point range, turned the ball over 20 times to just 11 assists. Against Stanford the Huskies shot 8-26(30.8%) from three point range with 14 turnovers to just 11 assists. Then today the Huskies shot 11-31(35.5%) from three point range, with 24 turnovers to just 12 assists.

If you add it all up in the Huskies five losses on the year they are shooting just 34-107(31.8%) from three point range. The Huskies in their defeats have turned the ball over 87 times to just 56 assists which is easy to see why the Huskies lost those games. When you aren't taking care of the ball and jacking up three makes it very difficult to win the game.



- Thomas didn't play his best game today that is pretty safe to say. He missed his first 10 field goal attempts of the game including some easy layups. He also turned the ball over seven times today. He also never quit playing hard which is expected of him.

Thomas despite all that drove the lane hard. He basically fouled out Casto and was a big reason why Thompson had to sit so long. Thomas was also 11-12(91.7%) from the free throw line today. Thomas was the only one being agressive and going to the hole. While his teammates were busy jacking up three point shots, Thomas was driving to set up his teammates who ultimately let him down today.

Thomas also needs help badly at the point guard position. He played 37 minutes while mostly running the point. With Abdul Gaddy being injured for the season and Venoy Overton being a no show his Senior year it is all on Thomas. Having a healthy Gaddy would have been nice in a game like today. A taller guard who can dribble the ball and shoot the three point shot. Instead Thomas had to play 37 minutes and Suggs played 35 minutes who also had five turnovers. Thomas needs help or some team in March who is more athletic than the Cougars will put a bigger guy on Thomas. The Cougars put Klay Thompson on Thomas at first and it appeared to have worked.

Overall back to the drawing board for the Huskies. Both the Huskies and Cougars have completed the hardest parts of their schedule since the California road trip is over. For the Huskies they have five games at home plus four on the road(three of which are the bottom feeders of the Pac-10). The Huskies will only be an underdog in one more regular season game rest of the way. That game will be at Arizona on February 19th which will play a big part in who wins the Pac-10 championship. As for the Cougars they sit at 5-4 in conference trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in the Klay Thompson era. The Cougars will have a tougher second half since they are only 1-3 in Pac-10 play on the road while still having to go to Arizona and Washington. The Cougars have a great chance this week in Oregon to gain some road confidence.

In conclusion the Huskies don't need to press any panic buttons. The Huskies are still the most talented team and experienced team in the conference. The Huskies are tied for first place and are in great shape going forward. The Huskies are in a position to play in the March Madness NCAA tournament for the third straight season. The Huskies however must stop jacking up three point shots all the time and run an offense. The Huskies have to take care of the ball as they are averaging over 17 turnovers a game in their losses. I think the Huskies should be able to go on a five game winning streak which should put them at 12-2 in the conference heading into the showdown game at Arizona. After that game the Huskies close out with three home games in a row. So as the Cougars celebrated today like they won the NCAA championship they must remember it is the Huskies who still remain in first place. It is the Huskies not the Cougars who control their own destiny to win the Pac-10 championship. Also memo to the Cougars you still have a return trip to Seattle on February 27th. I'm sure the Huskies will remember the way your fans behaved tonight. Isaiah Thomas already stated he is taking mental notes so beware of the dawgpack my Cougar friends.

Apple Cup preview on the hardwood!

By Kshell

The #18 Washington Huskies(15-4,7-1) travel to Pullman this Sunday to take on the Washington State Cougars(14-6,4-4) in a very important Pac-10 game for both teams. This game is important for both teams for two very different reasons. For the Washington Huskies this game is important to keep their one game lead over the Arizona Wildcats. The Huskies are seeking their second conference championship in three seasons. For the Cougars this game is important to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. The Cougars have missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons. The Huskies head into this rivalry with a four game winning streak over the Cougars which features players who have plenty of experience in this big game.



For the Cougars the experience in this Apple Cup series hasn't been very kind to them. The Cougars don't have a single player on their current roster who has ever beaten the Huskies. In fact their best players have typically had poor games against the Washington Huskies. The Cougars are led by super Junior Klay Thompson who is having a monster season. Thompson this year is averaging 22.2 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. He is also averaging 1.9 steals a game and 1.1 blocks per game. There is a reason why Thompson's name often comes up for Pac-10 player of the year talk. Thompson has been terrific as a Cougar but in the apple cup he has been dreadful. Thompson has scored just 29 points(7.3 points per game) while shooting 10-47(21.2%) from the field. For the Cougars to pull off the upset and keep their tourney hopes alive they must get a better game out of Thompson. Thompson is the only Cougar who has struggled against the Huskies.

No Cougar on this current roster has tasted success against the Huskies. DeAngelo Casto had a big game against the Huskies in a 59-52 loss in Pullman last season. Casto in that game scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds while shooting 8-16 from the field. That was a good game for Casto unfortunately for him in his previous three apple cups he scored just 14 points(4.7 points per game) while grabbing just two rebounds a game. Marcus Capers in his freshman year didn't score a single point against the Huskies. As a sophomore he scored just 11 points while shooting 4-13(30.7%) in two games. Another Cougar who struggles was Reggie Moore who being from Seattle didn't make Lorenzo Romar regret not recruiting him. Moore in his first apple cup in Seattle scored 13 points on three for nine shooting but also turned the ball over eight times. In the rematch in Pullman Moore shot one for eight while scoring eight points but once again turned the ball over four times. The Cougars are trying to reverse a trend from the past two seasons against the Huskies who feature the same prominent players.



For the Huskies who have enjoyed great success over the Cougars the last two years have seen some major stars graduate. No longer is Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon and Quincy Pondexter around to help dominate the Cougars. It was only just two years ago the Huskies had to defeat their own demons snapping a seven game losing streak to the Cougars which spanned three years. The Huskies still feature plenty of older guys who have played plenty of games against the Cougars. This Huskies roster is an experienced group which features three Seniors and three Juniors. The Huskies will have three players making their apple cup debut but for the most part this is a veteran group.


The Husky who has had the most success against the Cougars is Isaiah Thomas who has success against everyone. Thomas like Thompson is a Pac-10 player of the year candidate averaging 16.9 points per game, dishing out 5.8 assists and grabbing 3.9 rebounds a game. Thomas is shooting 46.4% from the field on the year while getting 1.4 steals a game. Thomas in Pac-10 play has been lights out though averaging 18.5 points per game while dishing out 8.4 assists per game. Thomas has also shot 45-94(47.8%) from the field which shows he is having better shot selection. Thomas is playing his best ball of his career and against the Cougars has destroyed them in the past. In four career games which are all wins Thomas has scored 66 points(16.5 per game) while shooting 20-48(41.7%) from the field. Last year in Pullman Thomas scored 22 points on 7-15 shooting to help the Huskies keep their lead against the Cougars and prevent a second half collapse. Although they play different positions Thomas has emerged over Thompson in the four apple cup meetings which could play a role in determing the conference player of the year.



Other Huskies have had some success against the Cougars in a single game but overall not much success. Matthew Bryan-Amaning who started his great play last year had a big game in Pullman. Bryan-Amaning scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while shooting 8-11 from the floor. Bryan-Amaning against the Cougars in Seattle which the Huskies won 92-64 scored nine points on four for six shooting. He out played Casto both games last season and has played great so far this year. Bryan-Amaning is averaging 16.2 points per game while grabbing 7.7 rebounds a game. He is also shooting 58.9% from the floor while blocking 1.4 shots a game. In Pac-10 play Bryan-Amaning has simply been dominating averaging 19.3 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. He is also shooting 62 for 101(61.4%) from the field in Pac-10 play. Whoever wins the Bryan-Amaning/Casto matchup could determine the winner on Sunday.

Two other Huskies have had mixed results when playing the Cougars. First of all is Justin Holiday who has scored just 11 points (2.8 points per game) in the last four games against the Cougars which isn't good. Then you factor in Holiday wasn't much of a scorer before this season and that makes sense. Holiday also in the blowout game in Seattle grabbed 10 rebounds. As a sophomore he shot a perfect three for three against the Cougars helping the Huskies capture the Pac-10 championship. Holiday is a big reason why Klay Thompson has struggled so much. Another player is Venoy Overton who against the Cougars in Seattle had six points and seven assists last year and was a big reason for Reggie Moore turning the ball over eight times. Overton was huge in the Huskies 67-60 win over the Cougars two years ago that clinched the Pac-10 regular season title scoring 14 poitns on three for five shooting. The Huskies need more from Overton and Holiday if they expect to win in a tough hostile environment.



Lorenzo Romar will be facing off with good friend Ken Bone who Romar has never lost to. Romar is 5-0(3-0 when Bone was at Portland State, 2-0 at WSU) all-time against Ken Bone. Romar has seen this rivalry have it's ups and downs. While at Washington Romar 9-8 all-time against the Cougars. Romar is currently on a four game winning streak against the Cougars after suffering seven straight losses to the Cougars which was coming off a four game winning streak against the Cougars. In fact these teams haven't split a season series since Romar's first year in 2002-03 season. Typically one team has the upper hand for a few years at a time.

This game is pretty important for both teams. For the Cougars a possible NCAA tournament berth is at stake. For the Huskies a possible Pac-10 championship is on the line. If the Huskies win Sunday at Pullman it would appear they would be favored in eight of their remaining nine games by a big margain. Also you have the individual wars between Isaiah Thomas against Klay Thompson who are both going for best player in the conference. Both players have given the other team bulletin board material. First Thompson said Derrick Williams is the best player in the conference over Thomas. Thomas later in the week dissed on Pullman wondering why anyone would ever go there. I'm sure Pullman will lay into Thomas and Overton on Sunday. Then you have the big man battle between Matthew Bryan-Amaning and DeAngelo Casto. All these matchups between two pretty good teams. You can tell this isn't football anymore as both teams haven plenty to play for. Just remember there is a rematch in Seattle which should be fun. The atmosphere will be great in Pullman this Sunday. This game is a huge game for both teams for two very different reasons.