Mack-Less Cougars Run Over Uc Irvine Despite Senior Forward’s Suspension, WSU Cruises To 91-53 Victory At Home

It may have been a laugher, but Washington State barely cracked a smile after Monday night’s 91-53 pounding of UC Irvine at Friel Court.

Instead, the Cougars were left to ponder the basketball future of senior starter Tavares Mack, who was suspended indefinitely prior to the game after missing Sunday afternoon’s practice.

According to WSU coach Kevin Eastman, the 6-foot-9 forward decided to leave the team after apparently losing interest in basketball.

“He’s gone through this before, prior to school starting and during conditioning,” Eastman said, adding that Mack’s suspension was not related to legal or academic issues.

According to Mack, who watched Monday night’s game from the fourth row of the baseline bleachers directly adjacent to the WSU bench, there was simply a misunderstanding - “nothing that can’t be worked out.”

Mack, averaging 9.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in three games this season, said he felt awkward sitting in the stands, but felt obligated to show support for his teammates.

“I’m still a team player, regardless,” he said.

Eastman was more reticent.

“I think when someone leaves a group, it’s up to the someone to take the first few steps,” the third-year coach said. “It’s not up to the group to chase after him - especially when it’s happened once or twice before.”

Mack has been suspended three times by Eastman, missing one game as a sophomore and one as a junior.

Cameron Johnson started Monday in place of Mack and helped spark the Cougars (4-0) to a 16-0 lead in the game’s first 7:12. Johnson finished with 11 points and two steals, making 5 of 7 field goals.

Johnson, Rodrigo de la Fuente and Carlos Daniel helped WSU step up the defense early, each taking a charge in the first half.

“Fortunately for me, the game’s real

simple,” Johnson said. “I just gotta come in, play hard, play defense.

“I’m not a superstar scorer or anything like that, so obviously my job is to keep the team focused on defense.”

It worked against the Anteaters (0-2), who made just 17 of 59 field goals and finished with a mere two assists. The Cougars, by comparison, made 32 of 55 field goals while piling up 20 assists.

“I think we put out a good defensive effort, as we did against Gonzaga (in Saturday’s 75-62 win),” Daniel said. “This is good for our confidence.”

Daniel led the Cougars with 18 points and six rebounds. Isaac Fontaine scored 17 points, including 15 in the first half, while de la Fuente finished with seven points, six rebounds and three assists.

Perhaps more impressively, starting point guard Kareem Jackson (four assists) and backup Blake Pengelly (five) did not commit a turnover.

The only negative for WSU, Mack’s situation notwithstanding, was a potentially serious ankle injury suffered by freshman wing Chris Crosby, who was helped off the floor with 2 minutes left in the first half.

Crosby’s status is unknown for Saturday night’s game at Eastern Washington. Crosby and Mack were hardly missed against the Anteaters, who trailed 54-26 at halftime and seemed to be counting the seconds to freedom. Assistant Joe Cravens, the former Idaho coach, even admonished the officials for facilitating slow play.

“It’s a 26-point game, boys,” Cravens barked during an especially long referee summit. “Let’s go!” Irvine, forced to start over after three prominent players transferred during the off-season, next heads to Cheney for a Wednesday night game against EWU.

Washington St. 91, UC-Irvine 53

CALIFORNIA-IRVINE (1-1) Johnson 3-10 0-0 6, Robinson 3-12 5-8 12, Foster 2-7 2-3 6, Jackson 2-3 1-2 5, Parker 5-13 1-4 13, Lee 0-1 1-2 1, Pugh 0-3 0-0 0, Toscanini 0-2 2-2 2, Reznik 0-1 0-0 0, Negrete 1-4 1-2 4, Delacruz 0-0 0-0 0, Carlson 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 17-59 15-25 53.

WASHINGTON STATE (4-0) De la Fuente 3-5 0-2 7, Johnson 5-7 1-1 11, Daniel 6-10 6-9 18, Fontaine 5-9 4-4 17, Jackson 2-3 0-0 6, Pengelly 1-4 2-2 5, Hutchens 2-4 0-0 5, Archibald 3-6 2-2 9, Crosby 2-2 0-0 5, Slotemaker 2-3 1-2 5, Mott 1-2 1-4 3. Totals 32-55 17-26 91.

Halftime-Washington St. 54, UC-Irvine 26. 3-Point goals-UCIrvine 4-14 (Johnson 0-1, Robinson 1-3, Jackson 0-1, Parker 2-4, Pugh 0-1, Toscanini 0-1, Negrete 1-3), Washington St. 10-20 (De la Fuente 1-2, Fontaine 3-6, Jackson 2-3, Pengelly 1-2, Hutchens 1-3, Archibald 1-3, Crosby 1-1). Fouled out-UC-Irvine, Foster. Rebounds-UC-Irvine 36 (Foster 11), Washington St. 38 (De la Fuente, Daniel, Pengelly 6). Assists-UC-Irvine 2 (Parker 2), Washington St. 20 (Pengelly 5). Total fouls-UC-Irvine 20, Washington St. 21. A-2,120.

, DataTimes