COUGARS
FROM PULLMAN — You can read our game story from UCLA's 63-60 win over WSU on the link. Read on for our usual game in review.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME — Brock Motum deserves a nod for continuing to carry his team. But the player who made the most difference in this game was UCLA center Josh Smith. He made 8-of-9 from the field, scoring 19 points in just 22 minutes. I thought the Cougars did an OK job of getting creative with their defense — Mike Ladd and Marcus Capers fronted him quite a bit in WSU's zone, and that seemed to be effective — but when Smith caught the ball on the block, it was game over. He's simply too big. And he clogged up the paint late in the game to prevent WSU from getting to the rim — though I know there's at least some sentiment on the Cougars side that he got away with a little too much contact, even if he did foul out.
PLAY OF THE GAME — Hard to pick one today, but we'll go with Abe Lodwick's missed 3-pointer with 1:27 to play. That's not meant to single out Lodwick. It simply illustrates the Cougars' offensive struggles down the stretch. Had Lodwick's 3-point attempt fallen, the Cougars would have cut UCLA's lead to 58-57 and things would have been much more interesting.
KEY STAT — An easy one. UCLA had 18 points off 15 WSU turnovers. The Cougars scored just three points off UCLA's 10 turnovers. And as coach Ken Bone pointed out afterward, it just seemed that WSU's turnovers were more costly today than they usually are. Too many breakaway buckets for UCLA.
QUOTABLE — “That’s on me. I’m the head coach. Twenty-three games into the year, we should not be as careless with the ball as we were today.” — Bone, addressing the turnovers
NEXT UP — The Cougars head back out on the road for a 7 p.m. game Thursday at Oregon State. The Beavers (15-8, 5-6) beat Utah 76-58 on Saturday.
Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com. Twitter: @ChristianCaple
7:20 p.m. Feb 4
Marcus Capers is a good guy and can jump high. That’s about where it ends. I will not be sorry to see him go.
7:23 p.m. Feb 4
I will admit that I have not watched a lot of WSU B. Ball this year but what is up with Moore? I have seen more aggressive Nuns.
8:04 p.m. Feb 4
stop the turnovers and win a few more games….
9:45 p.m. Feb 4
I honestly believe the better team lost tonight.
Ouch! Come on Coach Bone
1:05 a.m. Feb 5
Is it just me or does it seem like 15 years since we had Low, Cowgill, Weaver, Rochestie, Baynes, Tony & Dick Bennett? Ya know………when we played, hard, smart and consistent. When we threw the ball to the guys in the same colored jerseys. When we put our will on other far more superior teams and made them crumble. When there was a price to pay for making selfish and immature plays. When Beasley was full. When other teams feared coming to Pullman. When players like Reggie Moore saw the floor as much as Butch? Don’t see it getting any better. We are bad to the “Bone”!!!!
8:00 a.m. Feb 5
Remember back in 1997, when Ryan Leaf took the Cougs to the Rose Bowl? Remember 2001-2003, when we won 10 games per year? Man, those were good times. They’re also gone. Tony Bennett isn’t coming back. Ken Bone isn’t going anywhere. Whether you like him or not, he will be the coach next year. I am often disgusted by the sloppy play, but for God’s sake, can we please get past the fact that nearly everyone wishes TB were still here? We have who we have.
8:01 a.m. Feb 5
SpectreCoug—you’re right. It wasn’t a banner game for Marcus with the missed dunks, lazy passes leading to turnovers, bone head fouls….and he’s a senior? Marcus is a great kid, but after a banner freshman year there has been very limited improvement.
8:12 a.m. Feb 5
Agreed. I know he plays hard, but any time he’s in, our offense is playing 4 on 5. It’s nearly impossible to win in that case.
12:19 p.m. Feb 6
Only 1 big problem guys…I don’t see anyone else coming off the bench or starting that is or has supplied anything like a great effort, game or year.
We just don’t have any other big or semi-big time scorers, let alone any small time ones, in the current starting lineup either! Motum is the only consisent performer and he has been scoring near, at or over half of our recent total points along with playing almost full time, rebounding and defense!!
We can’t rely on 1 player to do that much and expect any kind of great won-lost record!!
GOOD LUCK AND GO COUGS!!
1:52 p.m. Feb 6
So, how do you use a great defender that is a wing size? Hummm! Put him outside the 3 line because he cannot shoot—NO
Put him at the top of the key because his passing is not so good—NO
Well, ghee, if we keep him in there how about a pick and slider? How about a cutter where his leaping ability can be utilized. HOW ABOUT MOVING HIM
The Bone O is the most stagnant O in the conference and always has been. He still doesn’t realize you can screen a zone.
Oh heck, I feel for the young men, they have little demanded of them and provide same.
I loved how the Bennett’s played the guys that worked the hardest in both practice and the game. I just don’t see that same effort, but maybe I am being too critical.
Come on Cougs, lets be somebody in Oregon.