Washington State Start WCC Play With Portland Victory

The Cougs rallied to win on the road in their first league game of the year.

Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars forward Eemeli Yalaho (2) is fouled on the shot by New Mexico Lobos guard Luke Haupt (3) in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

The Washington State men's basketball team picked up their third straight victory on Sunday afternoon, beating the Portland Pilots on the road by a final score of 67-62.

After falling into an eight-point hole early in the second half, the Cougars were able to battle back. WSU extended their lead to double-digits in the final minutes, and held on to earn their second consecutive victory at the Chiles Center. 

The Washington State defense shined early on, as they held the Pilots to just eight points over the first ten minutes of action. Portland cut the lead to two at 14-12 with nine minutes left in the first period, but the Cougars responded with a nice 6-0 burst. A three-ball from Simon Hildebrandt extended their lead out to six, at 20-14.

While Portland was able to find a couple baskets here and there, WSU's defense held strong overall, and it went into halftime with the Cougars leading 32-23. 

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The first part of the second half, however, was disastrous for David Riley's group. The Pilots went on a 12-0 run over the first five minutes, which was capped off by a 25-foot three-point jumper from Joel Foxwell.

Though WSU was eventually able to break the scoring run, Up stayed hot. The Pilots continued raining down threes, and Portland went up 45-37 with 10:30 remaining. 

However, the Cougars got it together, and responded with a massive counter punch. Washington State went on an electric 10-0 run over the next four minutes, with a Rihards Vavers deep ball giving them back the lead. 

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Washington State did not take their foot off the gas, and pulled out to a much more comfortable lead with three minutes remaining. The Pilots were able to make an impressive run in the final minute as a last-gasp effort, but the Cougars hit their free throws, and improved to 1-0 in WCC play.

"There was a lot of a lot of ups and downs in that game and I thought that one thing that was pretty consistent until maybe the last minute or so was our defense and our guys really stuck with the game plan," Riley said after the victory. "I thought we did a good job protecting the rim. That's what wins games on the road in conference. And so I'm really really proud of our team with with that."

Washington State will continue their road trip when they take on Seattle U on Tuesday, in what should be a strong challenge for the Cougs. The two sides square off in Climate Pledge Arena with the Redhawks off to an 11-3 start to their season.

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