Washington State Goes Cold in Loss To Seattle U at Climate Pledge Arena

Washington State will see their winning streak snapped at three games with a loss to WCC newcomers.

Jan 11, 2025; Spokane, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars forward ND Okafor (22) reacts after a foul call during a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Though Washington State had found themselves on an upswing in the month of December, the Cougars will end the 2025 calendar year with a loss.

David Riley's Cougars made the trip to Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday, where they fell to the Seattle University Redhawks by a final score of 69-55.

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Seattle led for the majority of the evening, roughly 31 and a half minutes with WSU maintaining a lead for just under five and a half minutes.

It was a brutal shooting night for Washington State, who made 19 of 64 field goal attempts, along with just four of 27 three-point shots. The Cougs also made 13 of their 23 free-throw attempts on Tuesday.

Despite the loss for the Cougars, ND Okafor posted his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 total rebounds.

Seattle guard Brayden Maldonado led all scorers with 15 points, including three makes from beyond the three-point line.

In the first half, WSU made just seven field goals, turning the ball over 11 times. The Seattle defense was relentless, managing eight steals in the opening 20 minutes.

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In the second half, Washington State's tough luck in scoring continued. While Ace Glass found some measure of success, scoring all of his 13 points on the night in the final 20 minutes, the rest of the team was not so lucky. Rihards Vavers went 0-for-4 from deep in the second half as the Cougs tried to keep pace with the Redhawks. Okafor totaled eight rebounds in the second half, trying to give his team as many scoring opportunities as he could. WSU had 11 second chance points in the second half, preventing Seattle from scoring any such points.

WSU finished the night with 54 total rebounds compared to just 28 by the Redhawks, a testament to just how many offensive board the Cougars needed to grab in order to keep the game competitive.

Thanks to Tuesday's result, WSU will fall to 6-9 overall on the season. The Cougars will have a short amount of time to recuperate before two WCC games close to home. They'll kick off that stand in Pullman against Loyola Marymount on Friday, January 2. On Sunday, January 4, WSU and Oregon State will face off in Spokane at Numerica Veterans Arena.

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