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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Washington State puts it on the line

Cougars hit all 28 free throws, hold off Oregon comeback

EUGENE, Ore. – It might have taken 17 games, but Washington State finally found the key to its offense.

Get to the free-throw line. Then make every one.

The Cougars walked there 14 times Saturday, and they made all 28 attempts in their 74-62 Pac-10 conference win over Oregon (6-12, 0-6) before 8,261 at McArthur Court.

They needed every one of their school- and Pac-10-record free throws, as the Ducks – without coach Ernie Kent on the bench, who was ejected midway through the second half – came flying back late.

“We knew we had to go to the line and make it count every time,” senior center Aron Baynes said.

“We were able to do that. It was clutch down at the end of the game.”

But the free throws and Kent’s ejection weren’t the only unusual occurrence WSU needed to raise its record to 11-6, 3-2 in Pac-10 play, despite the 12-point final margin.

They also needed every one of Taylor Rochestie’s career-best 30 points – he hit all 16 of his free throws – and seven assists.

They needed Baynes’ first career 3-pointer and the rest of his season-high 19 points and career best-tying 12 rebounds.

They needed five blocked shots, plus an uncredited one by freshman Marcus Capers, making his first career start, three by Baynes and two by DeAngelo Casto.

Plus they needed their given, a defense that suffocated most of Oregon’s shooters for 37 minutes.

“Some guys are just playing real well,” WSU coach Tony Bennett answered when asked how the Cougars have won three consecutive Pac-10 games. “Taylor is just carrying us. Aron, those two seniors have just stepped up.”

Rochestie not only tied Marcus Moore’s single-game school record for most free throws made without a miss, he also hit two big 3-pointers late to blunt the first part of Oregon’s comeback.

“It just came down to having the ball go in the basket,” the senior point guard said of his recent improved shooting and his 19.2 scoring average in conference.

After watching his team shoot 25 percent in the first half, miss its first eight 3-point attempts and have trouble matching up with Baynes and Casto inside, Oregon coach Kent had had enough.

The Ducks led only once, at 2-0 on LeKendric Longmire’s post move, part of his team-high 15 points. They trailed by seven at the half after a 6-0 WSU run in the last 2 minutes, had crawled to within five – 31-26 – on Joevan Catron’s bucket with 14:48 left. WSU then went inside to Baynes. His hook shot seemed to slip from his fingers as Josh Crittle made incidental contact, and official Chris Rastatter called a foul.

Kent jumped out to near midcourt and Rastatter whistled him for a technical. Four free throws later, WSU had started what would turn out to be a 12-0 run.

Kent, under fire after the young Ducks’ slow start, wasn’t around to see the end.

When no foul was called after Catron, who had 12 points and nine rebounds, went to the hoop and hit the ground on a miss, Kent jumped up again and Rastatter hit him with another technical.

The Cougars scored four more points off that call and this one seemed over. It wasn’t. The Ducks made seven 3-pointers in the last 8 minutes and kept it close, with Tajuan Porter hitting four en route to 15 points.

“That shows you how quick they can score,” Bennett said of the Ducks’ late run.