WSU can’t match Utah’s hot shooting in 80-58 loss to open Pac-12 play

When Washington State flips on the game tape of its Pac-12 Conference opener, a 80-58 loss to Utah Friday evening in Salt Lake City, the Cougars will have a few things to be proud of.

They rebounded well. They overcame an early deficit and multiple players scored .

They lost the game, though, because they allowed the Utes to get hot from beyond the arc in the second half. Utah sank seven 3-pointers in the second half, including four in a key 16-2 run, turning a close contest into a shooting exhibition that Washington State couldn’t match.

“They got on top of us and we just didn’t have a good response at all,” WSU coach Kyle Smith said. “We didn’t have anything, and you gotta make shots on the road.”

WSU (9-3, 0-1 Pac-12), which overcame a slow start to draw within two at halftime, couldn’t overcome Utah’s long-range shooting. Utah guard Gabe Madsen hit four 3-pointers and totaled 20 points, and 7-footer Branden Carlson added three 3-pointers, which allowed the Utes to take a double-digit lead in the second half.

In previous games this season, perhaps the Cougars could have battled back. Utah ranks first nationwide in average height, coming in at 6-7½, a measure of length and shot-blocking that stymied WSU’s approach on offense.

Washington State has fashioned itself a big team, too, checking in at No. 7 in the country in height at 6-7. That’s what made this matchup so interesting: Which team could leverage its size better?

Those honors went to Utah, which imposed its will around the basket.

WSU forward Isaac Jones scored 12 points, but he needed 16 shots. On several occasions, he had his shot blocked underneath, unable to navigate the long arms of Carlson, Keba Keita and 7-1 center Lawson Lovering, a trio that combined for eight blocks. The Cougars shot just 31% from the floor.

“Obviously, Isaac struggled to finish over Carlson,” Smith said. “We’re gonna run him more guys like that, and he’s more than capable. But I thought Isaac competed hard, actually. He’s gonna have to adjust.”

Outside of a promising 9-2 run early in the second half, a stretch that included a putback slam from Jones and a wing 3-pointer from guard Kymany Houinsou, WSU’s offense never quite got going. Leading perimeter scorer Myles Rice scored seven points on 14 shots, misfiring on all four 3s he tried, and wing Andrej Jakimovski couldn’t shake his slump, scoring five points on seven shots.

Jakimovski has made six of his past 26 3-point attempts, a 23% effort that covers his past six games. He knocked down 35% of his 3-point attempts last season. He’s a capable shooter, but his percentage has dropped sharply this season.

That is particularly bad news for WSU because for its offense to operate well, it desperately needs spacing and perimeter scoring. The more the Cougars struggle on 3-pointers, which is how it’s going for Jakimovski, Jabe Mullins and even Rice, the more cramped the paint becomes and the more their post players struggle.

WSU wing Jaylen Wells hit two 3-pointers, both in the first half, but he couldn’t sustain it. The Cougars made just 4 of 20 3-point attempts. It’s hard to win games doing that – particularly on the road.

Smith wasn’t ready to forgive those numbers, but he put some stock in this reality: It was the Pac-12 debuts for Rice and Jones, the Cougars’ leading scorers. It was a rough go for both, but Smith is hoping they find something to learn from it.

It also added up to something of an anomaly. WSU pulled down 51 rebounds, including 24 on the offensive end, compared to Utah’s 37 rebounds. Jones and Chinyelu each finished with 10 rebounds, and Rice and Jakimovski added six apiece. The Cougars were making an obvious effort to hit the offensive glass, and they didn’t have much trouble succeeding.

But that was only an interesting statistic because WSU couldn’t make it count on defense. On too many occasions the Cougars lost the Utes’ best shooters, Carlson and Madsen, and the Utes made them pay. WSU got out of its zone defense too late.

“When the dam broke, it broke,” Smith said. “And we blew a couple coverages in zone there. Isaac, I hate to blame him, but you can’t let Madsen get behind you. Andrej was way over on one, and it’s like, those are layups for him. We just can’t do that.”

WSU wraps up its road swing to open Pac-12 play on Sunday, visiting Colorado, which took down Washington on Friday evening. The Buffaloes have won five straight.

After that, WSU hosts Oregon State on Thursday.