Cougs Pull Together, Down Anteaters Daniel Has Key Role As WSU Overcomes Loss Of Hendrickson

The concept is known as “stepping it up,” compensating for the loss of a critical player or element … a concept Washington State practiced successfully Friday night.

As a result, the Cougars earned their fourth consecutive men’s basketball victory, 88-81 over UC-Irvine in front of 2,659 at the Bren Events Center.

Washington State (7-1) played without 6-foot-9 forward Mark Hendrickson, who broke his left hand Wednesday night against San Jose State. Hendrickson - the Cougars’ leading rebounder and second-leading scorer - will be re-examined when the team returns to Pullman today.

Without Hendrickson, WSU needed some stellar offensive performances to repel the Anteaters (3-4):

Sophomore Carlos Daniel, making his first start this season, responded with 15 points, tying his career high.

Donminic Ellison scored 16 points in the second half to finish with 22 points.

Isaac Fontaine contributed 10 rebounds and a season-high 26 points - including two crucial 3-point baskets late in the game.

As a team, the Cougars shot a season-high 60 percent from the floor, 64 percent from 3-point range and 70 percent overall in the second half.

“We, as a team, decided it had to be a team thing, not an individual thing,” Daniel said. “They didn’t say, ‘Carlos, it’s all on you.”’

Yet, such offensive power almost was not enough. The score was tied 10 times and the teams exchanged the lead 19 times. UC-Irvine kept pace despite missing its leading scorer, Kevin Simmons, who was benched for disciplinary reasons.

Not until the final 6 minutes did the Cougars take control. With the score tied at 71, Fontaine made 3-point baskets with 5:34 and 4:59 to play, giving WSU a 77-71 lead.

However, UC-Irvine narrowed the deficit to 82-80 on Raimonds Miglinieks’ 3-pointer with 1 minute left.

“They drove the ball exceptionally well and hit the open man,” Daniel said. “They played so hard. That team never laid down and died; they kept fighting to the end.”

Miglinieks, who fouled out with 18 points and 12 assists, was the Anteaters’ key.

“He has the best court vision of anyone we’ve played since I’ve been at Washington State,” Cougars’ coach Kevin Eastman said. “He has eight points on thread-the-needle passes in the first half alone.”

But WSU made all six of its free throws in the final 47 seconds to secure the victory. The Cougars converted 15 of 16 foul shots in the final 10:50 - after making just 4 of 12 before that point.

“This was probably the ugliest win we’ve had all year,” Eastman said. “We really couldn’t play smooth basketball. Effort was the key. We told them they would have to fight like the 10th place team in the Pac-10.

“It was a players’ win. What did I do, help them play uglier?”

Washington St. 88, UC Irvine 81

Washington St. (7-1) - Ellison 6-10 7-8 22, Daniel 6-8 3-5 15, Mack 4-6 1-4 9, Antrum 5-11 1-3 13, Fontaine 9-14 4-4 26, Jackson 0-0 1-2 1, Scott 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Coby 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 30-50 19-28 88.

UC-Irvine (3-4) - Battle 7-11 1-4 15, Tate 2-7 8-12 12, Augulis 0-1 0-0 0, Keefe 8-13 1-4 19, Miglinieks 7-13 0-0 18, Fernandez 1-3 0-0 3, Parker 0-1 0-0 0, McKnight 2-2 0-0 6, Foster 3-7 2-4 8. Totals 30-58 12-24 81.

Halftime-UC Irvine 40, Washington St. 38. 3-Point goals- Washington St. 9-14 (Fontaine 4-4, Ellison 3-5, Antrum 2-5), UC Irvine 9-16 (Miglinieks 4-7, McKnight 2-2, Keefe 2-4, Fernandez 1-2, Tate 0-1). Fouled out-Miglinieks. Rebounds-Washington St. 31 (Fontaine 10), UC Irvine 30 (Foster 6). Assists-Washington St. 15 (Ellison 6), UC Irvine 19 (Miglinieks 12). Total fouls- Washington St. 19, UC Irvine 21. A-2,659.