Washington State’s 8-1 record this season has been built by winning all seven of its home games. It’s about time for the Cougars to wander off. At the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix on Saturday, Washington State will play Santa
Clara at the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix on Saturday. Following that, the Cougars will open Pacific-12 Conference action on Thursday in Spokane, Washington, against Boise State.
Myles Rice of WSU was selected as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the second time in a row. In an 83-65 victory over visiting Grambling on Sunday, he finished one steal short of the school record with 14 points, seven assists, and seven thefts. Regarding Rice’s ability on defense, Cougars coach Kyle Smith remarked, “He’s really good at that.” “He starts sniffing things out, he can really be a disruptive force, especially off the ball.”
The Cougars, who have won six straight, were led by Jaylen Wells, who scored a team-high 17 points while making five of his six 3-point attempts. Isaac Jones also contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. Rueben Chinyelu, a rookie, scored 14 points, a career high.
“It helps balance the equation,” Chinyelu remarked in reference to Wells and Rice’s outside shooting. “Just maintain a stable balance. It’s open if you don’t play this person. This man is open if you play him too much. It provides us with a range of choices to consider.” Santa Clara (7-4) has already lost three straight, most recently on Wednesday 84-82 against visiting Utah State.
Carlos Marshall Jr. scored sixteen points, Johnny O’Neil fifteen, and Adama-Alpha Bal led the Broncos with eighteen points in the defeat. Marshall averages 14.1 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game, while Bal leads Santa Clara with 14.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
“Our guys really competed, gave it their all,” Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek remarked. “It’s a very difficult loss to swallow.” The Broncos’ losing streak also includes games against Cal and New Mexico. They are experienced with Pac-12 clubs, having won earlier in the season against Stanford and Oregon. Sendek remarked, “Every time you play, you learn.” –Media at the Field Level Copyright 2023 Field Level Media – All Rights Reserved
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