Baylor gets revenge on WSU

PULLMAN – There was a seen-it-before element to the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series game between the 24th-ranked Baylor Bears and the Washington State Cougars.

The two met last season in Waco, Texas, with the Cougars riding seniors Robbie Cowgill, Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver to pull out a three-point win down the stretch.

The same tight, defensive-oriented game occurred Saturday night, only the roles were reversed.

The Bears got the big plays from their seniors this time and held off the Cougars 58-52 before 9,038 at Beasley Coliseum.

“When we needed to come up with a significant stop in the game, we couldn’t,” WSU coach Tony Bennett said. “You look at some of the things you need to do to win games that are tight … make free throws and get key stops … and we didn’t execute at times.”

The biggest play of the night – the biggest stop the Cougars didn’t get – came with 1 minute, 33 seconds left.

WSU (6-2), which had trailed most of the game had whittled a seven-point lead (53-46 with 3:23 remaining) down to two, 53-51, on a Daven Harmeling 24-foot 3-pointer at the 2:10 mark.

Baylor (7-1) moved the ball deliberately, before WSU knocked the ball out of bounds with 5 seconds left on the shot clock. Coach Scott Drew called timeout to try to get a shot off.

Senior Henry Dugat, who up to that point had taken four shots, ended up with the ball and drove into the lane, where he collided with Aron Baynes.

Falling, Dugat threw up a 10-footer that found nothing but net and ultimately ended a WSU non-conference winning streak in Beasley that dated back to a loss to Gonzaga in the 2004-05 season.

“It looked like a tough shot,” Bennett said. “He got in there, then he body-surfed and then he threw it up there. It was one of those, it seems like those guys, those guards, they make plays like that.”

“I didn’t expect him to shoot that ball,” said Baynes, who made a number of key defensive plays down the stretch, including two blocks. “I should have blocked that shot. That’s what I’m down there for.”

Dugat, who finished with 12 points, and Curtis Jerrells, who added 13, are both seniors, and they made the key plays down the stretch. The duo teamed with junior guard Tweety Carter to score Baylor’s final 16 points.

The Bears, who shot 40 percent from the floor, were much better from the line, hitting 21 of 25 (84 percent). WSU, meanwhile, struggled, converting 12 of 19 and missing the front end of two 1-and-1s.

Baylor also keyed on WSU’s leading scorer, Klay Thompson, attacking him on the offensive end – Thompson sat most of the first half with two fouls – and with Dugat doing a majority of the work, harassing him when WSU had the ball.

Thompson came in averaging 12.7 points a game and attempting more than 12 shots a game. He finished with four points on five shots, including no attempts before halftime.

“I think a big part of it was he got in early foul trouble and missed a huge chunk of the first half,” said Harmeling, who shared team-high honors with Aron Baynes by scoring 14 points, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. “Being on the bench early, maybe that got Klay out of his rhythm.”

But even without Thompson, WSU tied the score at 41 with 10:52 left as Baynes, Rochestie and Harmeling led the comeback.

Harmeling hit the 3-pointer that tied it. Rochestie, who had 11 points, gave WSU its last lead (43-42) with 9 minutes left on two free throws. Baynes controlled the inside with 14 points and six rebounds.

But after Rochestie’s free throws, Baylor leading scorer Jerrells, who finished with 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting, answered with two and Carter hit a 3 from the corner to give Baylor a 47-43 lead. The Bears didn’t trail again.

It’s not like the Cougars didn’t have their opportunities.

After they pulled within two at 47-45, WSU had five chances to tie. First DeAngelo Casto missed the front end of a 1-and-1. After the Cougars got a stop, Rochestie, Casto and then Rochestie again missed on the next possession. Still, Baynes rebounded near the basket but lost the ball trying to go back up with a little more than 6 minutes left.

From there, Jerrells hit a couple of free throws and Dugat added a jumper to take the lead to six.

The Cougars had one more run in them. But the Bears made the plays, and that was enough.

“There is no better feeling than a big road win,” Drew said, which sounded a lot like what the Cougars were saying 12 months ago.

Baylor 58, WSU 52

 Baylor (7-1)—Rogers 0-6 0-0 0, Diene 0-0 0-0 0, Jerrells 3-10 7-8 13, Dugat 3-5 6-6 12, Carter 3-5 5-5 12, Acy 1-3 0-1 2, Dunn 4-9 2-4 14, Lomers 2-2 1-1 5. Totals 16-40 21-25 58.

Washington St. (6-2)—Harmeling 5-8 0-0 14, Baynes 5-9 4-7 14, Thompson 2-5 0-0 4, Koprivica 1-4 3-5 6, Rochestie 3-14 4-4 11, Capers 0-0 0-0 0, Harthun 0-0 0-0 0, Lodwick 0-1 0-0 0, Casto 0-3 1-3 1, Forrest 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 17-45 12-19 52.

Halftime—Baylor 29-22. 3-Point Goals—Baylor 5-14 (Dunn 4-7, Carter 1-2, Jerrells 0-5), Washington St. 6-14 (Harmeling 4-5, Koprivica 1-3, Rochestie 1-4, Thompson 0-1, Lodwick 0-1). Fouled Out—Thompson. Rebounds—Baylor 30 (Jerrells 8), Washington St. 26 (Baynes, Koprivica 6). Assists—Baylor 7 (Jerrells 4), Washington St. 12 (Rochestie 4). Total Fouls—Baylor 21, Washington St. 19. A—9,038.