Cougs owe themselves

PULLMAN – Near the top of any college basketball coach’s motivational toolbox is a drawer labeled revenge. An early-season loss is always tucked just inside, waiting to be brought out when needed to ratchet up the intensity for a late-season meeting.

Except maybe in Pullman.

One would think the Washington State Cougars feel they owe the University of Arizona a beat-down after the Wildcats dominated them 76-64 a month ago in Tucson.

There’s a debt to be paid, all right, but according to junior point guard Taylor Rochestie, the Cougars have only self-interest in mind.

“We owe ourselves a better game,” Rochestie said following Thursday’s 59-47 win over Arizona State.

“We’re expecting a better game from us,” Rochestie said. “They embarrassed us down in Tucson and really exposed our weaknesses.”

If WSU coach Tony Bennett can’t use vengeance as motivation tonight, then maybe fear will work.

“One of the more talented scoring teams in our league, with Bayless, Budinger and the rest of the guys,” is how Bennett described the Wildcats, who average 72.6 points per game. “I thought they exposed our defense (in Tucson). I thought that was one of most challenging defensive nights we’ve had.”

Arizona’s offense starts, and lately has nearly always ended, with 6-foot-3 freshman guard Jerryd Bayless, who averages 21.2 points per game.

Bayless went into Thursday night’s 75-66 loss at Washington scoring more than 30 a game over his last three, but he was limited to 22 as Arizona dropped to 16-10 overall and 6-7 in Pac-10 play.

The Wildcats have lost four of their last five.

In Tucson, Bayless had a game-high 23 points while holding WSU senior Derrick Low to five, including a 1-of-6 effort on 3-pointers.

Chase Budinger, a 6-8 sophomore who added 22 points against WSU, has struggled lately, having been held to 10 or fewer points in three of the four recent defeats.

Point guard Nic Wise has missed Arizona’s last four games with an ankle sprain and Bennett feels that’s hurt the Wildcats – but not as much as it could.

“He had a good game against us, certainly,” said Bennett of the sophomore who had 10 points in the first game. “Now, I think, Bayless, as reflected in his stats and scoring, is even more aggressive, even more attack-oriented, as is Budinger.”

But no matter who Arizona puts on the floor, Rochestie is looking for the Cougars (21-5 overall, 9-5 in the Pac-10) to play their game.

“If we come out and play Washington State basketball, it’s going to be a lot different,” he said. “We learned a lot from the mistakes we made down in Tucson, so it’s time for us to come back and play a better game.”