Second, not second-rate

PULLMAN – It should have been nearly impossible for Washington State to send its fans away with a suitable home finale after this incredible regular season.

The Cougars did it anyway.

WSU (24-6, 13-5 Pac-10) won 88-86 over Southern California (21-10, 11-7) to claim an outright second-place conference finish, and it got there thanks to a double-overtime game that will surely be remembered as one of the most emotional and entertaining in school history.

“It’s great for our fans,” Cougars coach Tony Bennett said. “People were rocking in there. It was loud. It was intense.”

The 11,618 people in Beasley Coliseum were treated to a game with every imaginable subplot in the book. Two head coaches jawing with each other at halfcourt 48 minutes into the game. Three free throws by USC’s Lodrick Stewart to win, lose or draw at the end of an overtime session. A star, USC’s Nick Young, fouling out near the end of regulation. A backup, WSU’s Aron Baynes, hitting all 10 of his shots and scoring a game-high 25 points. Another, WSU’s Taylor Rochestie, nailing 3-pointers and free throws to ice the game after turning the ball over to help send it to overtime in the first place.

“It just mattered,” Bennett said of taking second place. “There’s nothing like playing in games like that and coaching in games like that, just the frenzy you get and the fire inside. I wanted my guys to feel that and finish it. It’s a good thing for these kids. These are situations and opportunities that you just deposit in the bank. I hope it helps us this year down the road.”

It took two calls from the referees – and the events thereafter – to bring the crowd to its loudest. With WSU up 70-68, Stewart missed a desperation 3-pointer in the last seconds of the first overtime. But Kyle Weaver was whistled for hitting Stewart on the elbow, and when the USC senior hit the first free throw it appeared that the Cougars might have lost the game because of the call.

But Stewart missed the second, and had to sink the third to extend the game.

“That was a great game, probably the Pac-10 game of the year,” Stewart said. “Man, I wish I could get that back, the second one. … I short-armed it and there was so much pressure on me for the third one, I was just fortunate it went in.”

Then, with 1:29 left in the second overtime, USC’s Gabe Pruitt got a bucket on a goaltending call that had Bennett barking at the officiating crew. Assistants from each bench began exchanging words, and things escalated to the point where Bennett and USC coach Tim Floyd were face to face at center court, with police and event staffers rushing the floor to try and keep things under control.

“I think one of my assistants and their assistants started hooking it up and I was trying to say, ‘Hey, I thought he was talking to me,’ ” Bennett said. “And then Floyd thought I was talking to him. And I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to tell the other guy to back off.’ … I apologize to Coach Floyd and the other assistant. Hey, I just got caught up in it. There was just some emotion in that building tonight.”

The fireworks didn’t conceal career nights for Baynes and Rochestie, who carried the Cougars to victory. Baynes – as well as Cougars guard Derrick Low – played all 10 overtime minutes with four fouls. The sophomore center scored a career-best 25 points, dominating USC in the low post.

Rochestie made six free throws in the last 30 seconds of the final overtime session on his way to a WSU career-best 21 points.

“There was a lot of emotion in that game,” Rochestie said. “A lot was on the line. It’s been a long, exciting season. To end it like that was special for the whole team.”

Not to mention for everyone else watching as well.

Notes

The 24 wins ties the third-best total in WSU history, and the solo second-place Pac-10 finish matches the school’s best. … Young was unstoppable for USC, scoring 19 points before Weaver drew a charge with 18.7 seconds left in regulation to foul him out. … Stewart hit a 3-pointer to tie the game shortly thereafter and send the game into the first overtime. He scored a team-high 22 points on the night. … Baynes scored 11 points in a row for WSU at one point, spanning parts of both halves.

WSU 88, USC 86 (2OT)

Percentages: FG .500, FT .760. 3-Point Goals: 5-15, .333 (Pruitt 2-4, Stewart 2-5, Wilkinson 1-2, Hackett 0-1, Young 0-3). Team Rebounds: 33. Blocked Shots: 4 (Gibson 2, Stewart 2). Turnovers: 14 (Young 5, Gibson 5, Stewart, Hackett, Pruitt, Wilkinson). Steals: 9 (Pruitt 5, Stewart 3, Lewis).

Percentages: FG .460, FT .806. 3-Point Goals: 5-15, .333 (Rochestie 3-6, Weaver 1-1, Low 1-3, Hopson 0-1, Harmeling 0-4). Team Rebounds: 37. Blocked Shots: 4 (Weaver 3, Baynes). Turnovers: 14 (Weaver 4, Rochestie 3, Low 2, Hopson 2, Cowgill, Baynes, Harmeling). Steals: 6 (Weaver 3, Low, Hopson, Rochestie).

Halftime–Southern California 40, Washington State 35. Regulation–Southern California 64, Washington State 64. First Overtime–Southern California 70, Washington State 70. A–NA.