Cougs start grueling stretch of conference games

PULLMAN — A trip to Corvallis on Wednesday marks the end of Washington State’s “easy” stretch of games, as the page turns to a grueling four-game run against some of the toughest opponents the WCC. And it’s not like Oregon State will be a picnic for the 11-13/6-5 Cougars, when the ball tips tonight at 8 pm on CBS Sports Network.

The Beavers are not a very good team. They’re 12-12/5-6 and while that record looks similar to Wazzu’s, the Beavers played a non-conference slate softer than butter, meeting just one team in KenPom’s top 100. The Cougars on the other hand, played five.

In addition, 10 of the Beavers’ 12 losses are to teams outside of KenPom and just five of the Cougars’ 13 are.

Wazzu has also already beaten the Beavers this season, an 81-67 decision in Spokane in January. And it’s important to note that that was before Rihards Vavers and Simon Hildebrandt erupted

The counter is the location.

Wazzu has just one win outside of the state of Washington this year, coming to Portland. And while the Beavers haven’t been as good as usual at home, they’re still 9-4 at home and 3-8 outside of Corvallis.

And past games in Corvallis have always been interesting, partly because the whistle seems to blow in favor of the home team. Last year, OSU shot 38 free throws to Wazzu’s 16, a mirror image of a 2021 game where OSU shot 31 free throws to WSU’s 11, a game Kyle Smith memorably called “brutal.”

But all of that aside, it’s on the Cougars to not let the whistles matter and to secure a road win and stay firmly in the hunt for the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.

BEATING OREGON STATE would also be key for momentum, as it would mark a four-game winning streak for WSU. And it would also give the Cougars a boost of confidence with an unfriendly face coming into Beasley Coliseum on Saturday.

WSU will be wearing the Clock Tower Collection jerseys on Saturday vs. Santa Clara for the 3 pm tip on ESPN+, and will be hoping for better luck than last year, when the Broncos eviscerated the Cougars in both meetings. Santa Clara won by 28 in Santa Clara despite a triple-double from LeJuan Watts, and beat the Cougars by 30 in Pullman.

The good news is that several of the guys who killed WSU last year are gone. The bad news is, it hasn’t mattered. The Broncos are 19-5/10-1 and have been obliterating everyone in their path, winning by an average of over 20 points per game in WCC play. Only Gonzaga has slayed Santa Clara this far, and even that required a 34-point effort from Graham Ike.

Santa Clara isn’t quite as 3-point happy this year, but play tough inside and ferocious on the glass. WSU has to bring its best defensive effort and be all over the glass. Do that, keep Vavers and Hildebrandt hot and get a monster game from Ace Glassand WSU can get it done.

Related: Suddenly surging: WSU hoops finding rhythm as crucial stretch awaits

FOR THE WSU women, it’s another week in search of answers. The 4-20/3-8 Cougars have lost four in a row and while this weekend features two beatable teams, it’s become ‘believe it when you see it’ territory.

The Cougars are at San Diego at 6 pm on Thursday and Pepperdine at 1 pm on Saturday, with both games on ESPN+. San Diego is 8-16/2-9 and Pepperdine is 14-9/5-6. The Toreros are one of just two WCC teams below WSU on Torvik and Pepperdine, a surprise team this season, is one of Wazzu’s four wins.

The Cougars are currently 10th in the standings, which would force them into a Thursday game against the No. 11 seed. The only way out of a Thursday game is to finish eighth or better. Wazzu is 1 1/2 games back from St. Mary’s, but the Cougars do have a win over the Gaels and a second chance to claim a tiebreaker.

But Wazzu is also trailing Pacific, who he lost to and does not play again.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: In the previous four-game losing streak, the men’s team gave up 47 threes and allowed opponents to shoot 49 percent from deep. That alone was the driving force behind the defeats.

But in the three-game winning streak, WSU has given up just 14 threes and at a 26.9 percent clip.

While the women have fought mightily as of late, the offense has been one bright spot with at least 70 points in three of the last four games.