Bengals belted
Cougars step it up, win easily
PULLMAN – A cross-country trip Sunday that started before 3 a.m. PST. School back in session Monday. A sluggish practice.
It’s little wonder why Washington State men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett was worried about putting a tired team on the court Tuesday night against the Idaho State Bengals.
But if the Cougars were weary, they didn’t let it show, pulling away steadily in the first half, opening the second with a 19-4 stretch and defeating ISU 60-41 before 6,002 at Beasley Coliseum.
“Fatigue was a little bit of a concern,” Bennett said of the non-conference game. “It was a long trip and we’ve played a lot of games in a short amount of time.”
The Cougars had been banged around by then-No. 4 Pitt on Saturday evening in Newark, N.J., before flying six hours to get back to the Palouse the next day. The Bengals (1-5) supplied the sandwich game before No. 24 Baylor comes to Pullman this weekend and No. 5 Gonzaga four days later.
“Here are my concerns,” Bennett said he told his team. “With some games coming up, I don’t want you to overlook this team.”
Thanks in large part to Klay Thompson, the Cougars didn’t. The freshman set the tone on both ends, and WSU (6-1) started quickly, building a 10-3 lead in the first 5 minutes.
Thompson hit his first two shots – he finished 5 of 8 for a game-high 14 points – and blocked Amorrow Morgan’s first shot attempt so cleanly, he was credited with a steal.
Thompson and fellow freshman Marcus Capers held Morgan, ISU’s leading scorer at 19.2 points per game, to 3 of 10 from the floor and nine points.
“We wanted to come out with some intensity,” center Aron Baynes said. “We had to bring it like we had earlier in the year. I think we really managed to do that.”
That intensity waned when Idaho State retreated into a 1-1-3 zone, collapsing on Baynes – the 6-foot-10 center still finished with 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds – and forcing the Cougars to attack from outside.
For 7 minutes it worked and ISU pulled to within 14-9. Then it all changed, and Thompson was again the catalyst.
“Klay played one of his best games tonight,” point guard Taylor Rochestie said.
Thompson’s 3 got the offense going and, on the next four possessions, Daven Harmeling hit a 3, Nik Koprivica atoned for a turnover by adding another 3-pointer and Thompson finished the streak with an 18-footer.
By halftime the lead was 30-15, and when WSU went on a 13-0 run early in the second – ISU missed six consecutive shots and had four turnovers in 7 minutes, 17 seconds – the rest of the game could be handled with reserves.
At one point, WSU had five freshmen on the floor, three true (Mike Harthun, DeAngelo Casto, who had eight rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes, and Capers) and two redshirt (Charlie Enquist and Abe Lodwick). In all, seven freshmen played.
“I put them in at the 6-minute mark and challenged them,” Bennett said of the group. “I told them the score was 0-0 and … I’m a little disappointed they didn’t win the last 6 minutes.”
One Cougar who challenged himself was Rochestie. After a weekend he would rather forget (he had 12 turnovers, including eight against Pitt), Rochestie was “happy to be home.”
“Our guys really lifted me up,” the senior said. “They kind of knew I was down. They made me look good tonight by knocking down some shots, getting me some assists.”
Playing with more control, Rochestie had five assists and one turnover in 32 minutes.
“A better ratio than against Pitt,” Bennett said.
WSU came into the game leading the Pac-10 in scoring defense (43.8 points per game) and, more important, shooting percentage defense (30.2). Until the last 5 minutes, ISU was well less than the shooting mark, though the Bengals hit 8 of their last 11 shots to finish 15 of 44 (34.1 percent) from the floor.
“Our toughness starts on defense,” Rochestie said. “The Washington State way. Our defense leads to offense and leads to us being confident.”
That defense – and confidence – will be tested the next eight days.
“Two of the finest offensive teams that I’ve seen, no question,” Bennett said. “Obviously, Gonzaga speaks for itself and Baylor is exceptional.”
At least his team will be rested.