Mouhamed Gueye has 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Washington state ending number 5 arizona28-match winning streak at home with a rate of 74-61 Saturday win.
Cougars (7-10, 2-4 .) Pac-12) put an end to Arizona’s once powerful offense, creating a rare subdued atmosphere inside the McKale Center. Washington State took an 18-point lead midway through the second half, countering Arizona’s late run and shooting 12/28 from 3-point to end the nation’s third-longest winning streak.
The Wildcats (14-2, 3-2) struggled offensively for the third game in a row, scoring 32% and 4 to 25 from a 3-point arc. Arizona had the fewest halftime points (27) in two seasons under coach Tommy Lloyd and ran out of gas after a late 12-2 game cut the Cougars’ lead to five.
Azulas Tubelis had 29 points and 14 bounces for Arizona.
Arizona was on the defensive while its high-octane offensive behavior dropped to fourth in the previous two games.
Once the nation’s top scorer and best shooter, the Wildcats scored a combined 139 against Arizona State and Washington, taking wins at both behind their defences.
The Wildcats once again struggled in attack against Washington State, forcing some contention inside while leading 1 to 8 from 3 in the first half.
Like he did with Washington, Tubelis was the only Arizona player with much of an offensive impact, scoring 15 points from 5/11 shots. The rest of the Wildcats combined 4 to 16.
Arizona’s defense had some success, drawing the Cougars for more than four and a half minutes and seven to 22 on their two-pointers. Washington State made up for it by winning 7 to 15 from 3, leading 37-27 at halftime TJ Bamba‘s 3 at the buzzer.
Washington State took the lead to 13 early in the second half and kept firing shots every time Arizona tried to run.
DJ Rodman hit 3 points after Washington State broke Arizona’s all-court pressure and a subsequent possession. Arizona then let Gueye run free in the middle of the lane to make a pitch that put the Cougars 55-37 ahead.
Arizona ramped up defensive pressure, drawing Washington State with two free throws in just over five short minutes, taking a 61-56 lead 12-2.
It turned out to be the Wildcats’ last gasp. Washington State pushed the lead back into double digits and Wildcats fans fled.
Washington State arrives in the desert as the Pac-12’s most prolific 3-pointer team. The Cougars once again played well from the arc and played super defensively to take down a top 5 team on the road.
Arizona needs to find a way to speed up its offense again. After scoring more than 90 points per game, the Wildcats have failed to go above 70 for three consecutive games since the non-conference schedule ended. The drop in AP’s Top 25 will take place on Monday.
Next, Washington State is hosting california on Wednesday, and Arizona plays at Oregon State on Thursday.
Associated Press report.
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