COUGARS

Halftime and Washington State controlled much of the first half. But the final 4 minutes – roughly akin to when Northwestern coach Bill Carmody's technical when he had to be restrained by his assistant coach – the Wildcats clawed their way into it, cutting the lead – it had been as much as 14 – to as little as eight. Then they hit the final shot and went into the locker room trailing by seven. All in all, after shooting 40 percent and struggling at times beyond the arc, not a bad deal for Northwestern. WSU led by 14 after Carmody's T at the 4:22 mark. ... The offensive star for WSU has been Brock Motum, who came off the bench and found enough room to score 11 points. Klay Thompson has not really asserted himself offensively, having taken just seven shots. ... DeAngelo Casto hasn't show any effects from his 24-hour suspension and has six points and five rebounds. ... WSU's intensity waned down the stretch and Northwestern took advantage. ... More later.

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