Turnovers hit weary Weaver

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Kyle Weaver has the rebounds, the assists, the blocks and the steals to justify his All-Pac-10 status this season.

Unfortunately for the Cougars, their stat-sheet stuffer put up big numbers in one more category Saturday in Arco Arena – turnovers.

Weaver, who has been so spectacular and so valuable for Washington State, coughed up the ball eight times, three of them coming in the second overtime.

On 11 different occasions this season, WSU as a team committed an equal or fewer number of turnovers.

“It was a long game, and a physical game, too,” said Weaver, who also had six rebounds, eight assists and four steals but a 1-of-8 night from the field and five points. “I had a few turnovers that I usually don’t throw away, some passes got deflected and they picked their defense up as well.”

The junior played 48 minutes and looked noticeably fatigued down the stretch. As a result, WSU coach Tony Bennett decided to sit Weaver for the last 50.1 seconds of the second overtime, and in speaking to the media afterward it sounded as if Bennett may have regretted not getting his star guard more rest along the way.

“Sometimes as a player if you make a turnover you just get a little dazed at times, and I just thought get him off and see if we can get a shot,” Bennett said. “It wasn’t a lack of effort. He laid it out there like all these guys did.”

Weaver had a chance to give the Cougars an edge in the last minute of regulation, too, getting fouled with 46 seconds left and WSU trailing by one. Weaver made his first free throw, which was his 22nd consecutive successful attempt from the line. But after tying the game he missed the second, and there were no more points scored before the final horn sent things to overtime.

Not surprisingly, his teammates were more than ready to support their teammate afterward, even after one of his rougher games.

“I thought he played his heart out. I’ll go down with him with the ball any time,” Robbie Cowgill said. “He’s the guy we’ve been leaning on all year to make plays and do it on both ends. He gets rebounds, steals, assists. He scores. We want him to be aggressive all the time and make plays. A couple of them just got away from him. You play for 50 minutes, you’re going to feel some fatigue.”