Mouhamed Gueye scored a career-best 25 points to lead Washington State to a 78-70 victory over Washington on Wednesday in Pac-12 play at Pullman, Wash.
Efe Abogidi added a career-high 21 points and a season-best 14 rebounds as the Cougars (15-12, 8-8 Pac-12) halted a five-game losing streak in the first of back-to-back games against Washington.
Michael Flowers contributed 12 points and seven assists for Washington State. Flowers drained four straight free throws as the Cougars finished the game with a 7-0 run.
PJ Fuller scored a career-high 23 points for the Huskies (13-13, 8-8), who dropped their fourth consecutive contest. Terrell Brown Jr. added 11 points and eight assists and Cole Bajema also had 11 points for Washington.
The Apple Cup rivals meet again Saturday in Seattle.
Washington played without Emmitt Matthews Jr. (concussion) and Daejon Davis (shoulder), while the Cougars were without TJ Bamba (knee).
Washington State shot 44.3 percent from the field, including 4 of 17 from 3-point range. The Cougars held a 26-7 edge in second-chance points, and 10 of Abogidi’s rebounds were on the offensive glass.
The Huskies connected on 46.3 percent of their shots and were 7 of 20 from behind the arc. Washington has lost four of its past five meetings with the Cougars.
Washington State opened the second half with a 13-1 surge to hold a 46-34 lead with 16:42 remaining. Flowers, Tyrell Roberts and Noah Williams all knocked down 3-pointers during the run.
The Huskies whittled away at their deficit, and Brown’s jumper and Fuller’s 3-pointer trimmed it to 53-50 with 10:44 left.
Nate Roberts’ basket moved Washington within 55-54 with 8:50 remaining. However, Gueye made back-to-back jumpers in the lane to give the Cougars a five-point edge.
Washington State led 67-61 after two free throws by Abogidi with 4:46 left. But the Huskies pulled within 71-70 with 2:31 to play after consecutive baskets by Jamal Bey and Fuller.
Abogidi dunked on a put-back with 2:10 left to make it a three-point margin, and he split two free throws with 1:22 remaining to make it 74-70.
Flowers knocked down two foul shots with 46 seconds left and another two with 22 seconds remaining to seal it.
Gueye scored 13 first-half points for the Cougars, and the game was tied at 33 at the break. Bajema had nine in the half for Washington.
–Field Level Media