Cougs MBB Fends Off Boise State Broncos To Improve To 8-2

Washington State Cougars head coach David Riley shouts to his team from the bench during the first half of their game in the Acrisure Series in Palm Desert, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. | Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Washington State Cougars improved to 8-2 on Saturday with a 74-69 victory over the Boise State Broncos. That game was a neutral site contest at Idaho Central Arena, improving to 3-2 on neutral site courts this season.

Forward LeJuan Watts came through with his fourth double-double of the season. The Eastern Washington transfer scored 20 points and recorded 11 rebounds in the win, continuing to pick up the production the Cougars are missing due to Cedric Coward's injury. Watts led the Cougs in points, rebounds, and assists on the day, sinking several critical free throws in the final minutes to help secure the win.

Isaiah Watts also set a career high with seven rebounds and ND Okafor matched career high with three blocks in the win.

WSU jumped out to a 44-24 lead on the Broncos by halftime, but made just enough stops late to secure the five-point win. WSU went from shooting 55.8% in the first half to shooting 43.48% in the second.

The Cougs also held Boise State to a field goal percentage of 37.9% on the evening.

"I thought we had some guys step up and make momentum plays," head coach David Riley said postgame. "Obviously we didn't do what we needed to do to to hold that lead, that's something we got to work on. That's exciting for me honestly is that we're we're winning these big games and we still have so much more more to work on but us getting that cushion was big.... There's just so many guys that that stepped up during that [ending] stretch and we we found enough stuff to win."

WSU will have a week before their next contest, when they will host Missouri State on December 14 at 2 PM PT.

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