Washington State Falls in WCC Tournament to End David Riley's Second Season

The Cougars were outplayed in the second half against the Portland Pilots in Las Vegas

Jan 15, 2026; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach David Riley talks with an official during a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Washington State started strong, but couldn't maintain their momentum in the second half Friday night in a 74-68 loss to Portland in the second round of the West Coast Conference Tournament. It was Portland's first win over the Cougars in ten attempts

Playing at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, the Cougars had the No. 8 seed in the tournament and earned a bye through the first round. The Pilots, the tournament's No. 9 seed, beat Pepperdine on Thursday to reach a matchup with the Cougars.

Freshman guard Ace Glass led WSU with 19 points and tied for the team lead in assists, as he and Jerone Morton totaled five each. Glass finished with 525 points this season, setting a new single-season WSU freshman scoring record.

ND Okafor and Eemeli Yalaho tied for team lead in rebounds with six apiece. Unfortunately for WSU, it was an uncharacteristically poor shooting night for Rihards Vavers, who finished with just five points and only one made field goal. Vavers missed all five of his field goal attempts from beyond the three-point line,

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In the first half, Washington State did a great job of putting pressure on the Portland offense, who turned the ball over nine times. The Cougars turned those turnovers into 14 points, including nine points on fast breaks. Glass made two of his three shots from deep as WSU took a 29-25 lead into the break.

The tide turned in the second half as the Pilots took a lead they would not relinquish with 14:07 remaining. Portland's Garrett Nuckolls and Joel Foxwell found their way to the free-throw line often, sinking 13-of-14 combined attempts from the charity stripe. Both Foxwell and Jermaine Ballisager Webb posted point/rebound double-doubles.

Washington State continued to take shots from beyond the three-point line, but made just six out of 19. The Cougars also made just five trips to the free-throw line, sinking all of those attempts. The Cougars rallied to trim the lead to five with 11 seconds left, but missed their final shot attempt with four seconds left.

With a berth in one of the major postseason tournaments out of the question, Washington State's second season under Riley's direction comes to a close with an overall record of 12-20.

The Division I men's basketball transfer portal opens on April 7, 2026 and lasts for 15 days.