WSU closes out home finale with thrilling 68-65 win over Oregon

The Washington State Cougars survived a close to late comeback from the Oregon Geese, hanging on for a 68-65 win on Senior Day in Pullman.

WSU (13-15, 8-9 in Pac-12) watched their 10 level lead evaporate as Oregon (15-13, 9-8) flipped the swap and introduced the sport inside a possession happening to the ultimate minute. In want of a bucket, Justin Powell delivered an enormous lay-up to offer WSU two key insurance coverage factors. Down three with the shot clock turned off, Oregon air balled the sport tying triple proper earlier than the clock expired.

With it being the ultimate common season residence recreation at Beasley Coliseum, the Cougars honored seniors D.J. Rodman and Jack Wilson. Through the ceremonies, a tearful Rodman informed the gang how a lot he has loved the previous 4 years in Pullman. He then despatched the Beasley crowd right into a frenzy when he introduced that 4 years wasn’t sufficient. Rodman can be again subsequent season.

A lot to the delight of coach Smith.

The primary half was spent jockeying for the lead and management of the sport. WSU went on the primary huge run of the sport six minutes in. The Cougars 10-0 run, highlighted by a Mouhamed Gueye slam, put the Cougars up 5. Oregon’s protection stifled the Cougar offense shortly after the 10-0 run. WSU may solely muster 10 extra factors within the final 12 minutes of the half. With the Cougar offense locked down, the Geese went on a run of their very own to retake the lead and maintain it into the halftime break.

Rodman gave the Cougars the lead again along with his first trey of the night time three and a half minutes into the second half. Two possessions later, Rodman stored it flowing with a one other three-pointer to push the lead as much as 5. Gueye put the exclamation level on the run with a strong dunk off an awesome move from Powell.

The Cougars stored their foot on the gasoline, extending the lead as much as seven with a freakishly athletic play from Gueye to go catch a excessive lob move and get the powerful lay-up to go. Andrej Jakimovski bought the result in double digits with a nook trey to offer WSU their largest lead of the sport to date, at 10.

Oregon shortly reduce the lead in half after a nasty in-bounds move was thrown proper to Keeshawn Barthelemy for a simple layup. After a missed bucket on the opposite finish, Barthelemy struck once more with an open floater to make it a one-possession recreation. For each bucket the Cougars bought, Oregon was fast to reply. An open Rodman three pushed the lead as much as 4, however Oregon broke down the WSU zone protection for a number of simple buckets and took a one level lead on a free throw.

Popping out of the under-four timeout, Powell knocked residence an enormous three to place WSU again in entrance by two. The Geese have been once more quick to reply with a back-door reduce to the rim, tying the sport again up at 62. With the Cougs main by two with a minute and a half to go, T.J. Bamba took the ball down the lane and completed a troublesome lay-up in visitors to place WSU up 4. Barthelemy continued to be thorn within the Cougars’ aspect, connecting on an enormous step-back three to reply Bamba’s bucket.

After a chaotic sequence that included Bamba calling the Cougars closing timeout to get Jakimovski out of a jam and a kicked ball in opposition to Oregon that reset an expiring shot clock, Powell delivered an enormous lay-up with below 25 seconds to play to push WSU up three.

Oregon bought the ultimate shot and bought an awesome look. Jermaine Couisnard bought Jakimovski to leap, aspect stepped to his left and fired off an open search for the sport tying three. That three fell quick, grazing the web for an air ball. The clock hit triple zeros shortly after and the Cougars survived their Beasley Coliseum season finale.

The Cougars will hope to trip the homestand sweep on the highway for the ultimate three video games of the 12 months, beginning on the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday.