Washington State Cougars On SI

Washington State Give Strong Shooting Performance To Snap Losing Streak, Beat Pacific

Washington State lost their previous three contests, but shot 56.7% from the floor to take down the Tigers by 17.
Joe Londergan|
Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Tomas Thrastarson (5) is introduced before a game against the New Mexico Lobos at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Tomas Thrastarson (5) is introduced before a game against the New Mexico Lobos at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

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Washington State Cougars

The Washington State men's basketball team picked up a critical victory for their West Coast Conference Tournament hopes on Wednesday night with an 87-70 home result against the Pacific Tigers.

Rihards Vavers led the Cougars with 21 points, including five three-point makes. Eemeli Yalaho led the team in rebounds with eight, while Adria Rodriguez paced the group with five assists.

Sophomore guard Tomas Thrastarson saw his first action since December 30 for the Cougars. The Iceland native played 17 minutes and turned in 11 points and five rebounds off of the bench.

MORE: Washington State Football: 2026 Schedule Released

In the first half, Vavers put on a clinic shooting from deep as he sank four of his five three-point attempts, finishing the opening 20 minutes with 16 points. WSU controlled the pace of the game, converting their seven forced turnovers into 12 points. The Cougars also did an exceptional job taking care of the ball with just two turnovers themselves. WSU took a 51-40 lead into the break.

To start the second half, it looked as if the Tigers were in the process of shifting the momentum in their favor. Pacific cut the lead to one point at the 13:38 mark. However, the Cougars responded and went on a 13-2 run to get things back under their control. WSU was able to cruise to the 17-point victory after that sequence of events.

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"The main goal was just to be physical, boxout, and just show physicality tongiht" Vavers said after his team emerged with a rebounding advantage of 35-32.

Following Wednesday's win, the Cougars will not have a long break before they take the court again in Pullman. They'll host the Saint Mary's Gaels on Saturday, February 21. Tipoff in that contest is set for 7 p.m. PT on ESPN2. WSU are seeking their first win over Saint Mary's since the 2017-2018 campaign.

With three games left in the regular season, the Cougars are hoping to clinch one of the top four seeds in the WCC Tournament, which would earn them a bye to the quarterfinals of the competition.

"We're locked in. Three games left. We're trying to get as high a seed as we can," Vavers added postgame. "Got to put our head down, just stay locked in, and get those wins."

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.

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