Cougars buck the Broncos

For the most part, Washington State played well and shot well in its first five games, sprinting out to an undefeated start.

On Saturday in the Spokane Arena, the Cougars did neither. And they won anyway.

Buffeted by a pair of 3-pointers from Daven Harmeling in the closing 3 minutes, 30 seconds, the Cougars managed to nudge a Boise State team out of the way, 65-63, despite their own spotty play and a deficit that lasted most of the game.

Down by four at halftime, WSU (6-0) traded buckets with the Broncos (1-3) for much of the second half, trailing by single digits until Harmeling, a 6-foot-7 forward, drilled a 3 from the top of the key to give the Cougars a 58-57 lead. After giving that lead back to Boise State, Harmeling hit another 3-pointer from the right side, this time getting fouled as well and adding the free throw for what ended up becoming the decisive point with one minute on the clock.

“It wasn’t any different than anything I would have done in any other situation, it just happened to be at pretty big moments in the game,” said Harmeling, who scored 11 points. “Early in the game I got a couple of open looks and I was able to knock them down so I was really confident in my shot.

“This program’s had so many tough losses that the more of these we get the better it’ll be for us.”

The Cougars were playing in the Arena in their one home game of this season in Spokane, and it was played in front of an announced crowd of 3,128 that was mostly lifeless until the Cougars made the necessary big plays down the stretch.

At 6-0, the Cougars are now just two wins away from making it to their home game against Gonzaga on Dec. 5 still undefeated.

“That one was pretty close. We’ll take it,” said WSU coach Tony Bennett, who remains undefeated in his college coaching career. “When we haven’t played well we haven’t had a chance to win. So we didn’t play particularly well and we had a chance against a solid team. So I think that’s an important step.”

Boise State frustrated the Cougars in a number of ways, winning big on the boards with a 40-27 edge that manifested itself in a number of second-chance points. The Broncos also shot the ball well inside, going 20 for 32 on attempts inside the arc. Senior Coby Karl led all scorers with 19 points.

But WSU managed to force 21 turnovers, 10 of them on steals, and that defensive pressure – much of it coming in the second half – made a big difference as it overcame a deficit that was twice at eight points in the first half and once at six points in the second.

Guard Derrick Low had three of those steals and also had a team-high 17 points.

“It’s definitely one of the hardest games we’ve played so far,” Low said. “They were a tough team.”

Notes

Center Aron Baynes made his season debut for the Cougars after a long rehab from an ankle injury suffered in June. Baynes played one minute in the first half, and struggled in the process. He committed two fouls, turned the ball over once and was tied up for a jump ball. … Eastern Washington transfer Matt Nelson had nine points and eight rebounds for the Broncos. … The Cougars return to Pullman on Wednesday to play Portland in their quest to start 7-0.

WSU 65, Boise St. 63

Percentages: FG .451, FT .636. 3-Point Goals: 3-19, .158 (Karl 2-5, Tiedeman 1-4, Robinson 0-1, Larry 0-1, Wilson 0-4, Lane 0-4). Team Rebounds: 6. Blocked Shots: 2 (Karl, Larry). Turnovers: 21 (Karl 6, Lane 5, Nelson 4, Tiedeman 2, Robinson, Wilson, Larry, Cunningham). Steals: 5 (Wilson 2, Nelson, Lane, Larry). Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .407, FT .737. 3-Point Goals: 3-15, .200 (Harmeling 2-3, Low 1-5, Weaver 0-1, Forrest 0-1, Hopson 0-2, Matthews 0-3). Team Rebounds: 2. Blocked Shots: 2 (Clark, Forrest). Turnovers: 11 (Weaver 3, Cowgill 2, Hopson 2, Harmeling 2, Low, Baynes). Steals: 10 (Clark 3, Low 3, Weaver 2, Cowgill, Hopson). Technical Fouls: None.

Halftime–Boise State 33, Washington State 29. A–3,128.