Washington State Drop Close Game To Santa Clara in Pulman

Washington State gave a spirited effort against the top team in the West Coast Conference on Saturday, but ultimately came up short. The Cougars fell 96-92 to the Santa Clara Broncos in Pullman.

For the Broncos, it was their eighth straight victory as redshirt freshman Allen Graves turned in a 30-point, 13-rebound double-double. Graves finished with ten field goals on 14 attempts and went nine-for-ten from the line.

WSU's night was highlighted by significant scoring contributions from Eemeli Yalaho and Ace Glass. Glass finished with 20 points, while Yalaho did one better with 21 points. It was also arguably the best game of Adria Rodriguez's WSU career so far, with ten points, three rebounds, and four assists for the senior Spaniard.

In the first half, the Cougars made it clear in their they were ready to put forth another strong effort. Glass sank three of his five three-point attempts as WSU made eight shots from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Santa Clara hit six three-pointers of their own, giving the game a shootout feel. It was a fairly even half in most other regards with WSU holding a one-rebound advantage and both sides committing seven turnovers.The two sides went into the halftime break tied at 49-49.

The second half was again close, but the Cougars' depth again proved to be an issue. Without Emmanuel Ugbo again due to suspension, WSU's bench finished with 19 points, compared to 48 by the Santa Clara bench. The Broncos ultimately never relinquished the lead in the second half, stretching their lead to ten as Graves continued to shoot the lights out. WSU pulled it back within one point at multiple moments in the final four minutes, but caught a few bad breaks before they could get over the hump. This included six second-half turnovers by the Cougs, while the home side only managed to force three. Down four with one minute remaining, Glass missed a three-point attempt , and while Jerone Morton grabbed the rebound, ND Okafor was whistled for an illegal screen, which basically sealed WSU's fate.

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Washington State won't have to go far for their next contest. They'll travel to Spokane for their second battle with the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Tuesday, February 10 at 8 p.m. PT. Fans can catch that matchup on ESPN2.