COUGARS

FROM PULLMAN -- OK, so the Zebras are here figuratively. Unless you're counting the officials. For more on WSU's quarterfinal game against Wyoming in the College Basketball Invitational by Zebra Pen, read  on.

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As you can see in the photo above, it is abundantly clear who is sponsoring this tournament. The Zebra Pen name is on the court in four different locations -- twice as part of the CBI logo, and twice on its own, as well as on each of the basket supports -- though it looks like I'm going to be stuck writing with my regular old pen that I took from a Marriott somewhere earlier this season, because I don't see a single Zebra Pen anywhere in here. Drat. ... We'll link our game advance one more time, if you're interested in reading it before the game starts. If you're looking for a Pac-12 comparison to Wyoming, I think USC is probably the closest in terms of style of play. This isn't going to be an up-and-down kind of game if the Cowboys have their way. They're sixth in the nation in scoring defense, and 34th in 3-point field goal percentage defense. I could see this playing out like WSU's last game against USC -- a defensive struggle for both sides. What the Cougars need are contributions from players other than Brock Motum, similar to the San Francisco game. Leonard Washington leads the Cowboys in scoring and rebounding. The Cowboys don't shoot it real well, but Washington is the kind of strong, rugged player who could hurt WSU on the offensive glass. ... With a little less than an hour until tipoff, attendance isn't looking real great. Not many students, and not many other folks, though those who are here made a mad dash for the middle section behind the scorer's table as soon as the doors opened. All non-student seating is general admission, so it's first come, first served.

We'll be back after the game.

Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com. Twitter: @ChristianCaple

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