Washington State MBB Escapes San Diego With 65-61 Victory

Washington State men's basketball snapped a two-game losing streak on Thursday night, pulling of a four-point win at San Diego with a final score of 65-61.

Nate Calmese tied his season high with 27 points, leading all scorers in the game. 22 of those points came in the second half and nine came inside the final two minutes. The Cougars needed Calmese's performance with the rest of the squad struggling from the floor. Calmese was 9-for-17, while the rest of the team was 10-for-28.

Nate Calmese has all eight Cougar points and WSU leads 8-0! The junior hits a pair of triples before bringing this one back.#GoCougs | 📺ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/8FUtlZNgFk
— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) January 17, 2025

Forward and Eastern Washington transfer Dane Erikstrup also notched the third double-double of his career with 12 points and ten rebounds.

WSU started the game on an 18-2 run in the first six minutes. That included four three-pointers off of their first six attempts from beyond the mark. However, the Toreros used the rest of the first half to bridge the gap. The first half ended with USD up 27-25 following a 9-0 run to close the frame.

Much like the Gonzaga loss, turnovers were an issues for the Cougars in the first half. WSU gave up possession 12 times in the opening frame, which USD turned into 13 points. Strangely, both teams finished the game with 17 turnovers and 15 points off of turnovers each.

In the second half, things ultimately went WSU's way, thanks largely to Calmese's scoring. WSU did not regain the lead until 12 minutes into that second half. The Cougars also sank 15 of 20 free throw attempts in the second half, helping seal the win in the closing minutes.

Washington State improve to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in WCC play. The Cougs' season continues Saturday back in Pullman against the 6-13 Portland Pilots.

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