Field Level Media
Feb 28, 2020
CJ Elleby scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Washington State held off two second-half rallies by host Washington for a 78-74 Pacific-12 Conference victory on Friday night in Seattle.
Point guard Isaac Bonton, who had missed the previous three games with a leg injury, returned and had 20 points and four assists for the Cougars (15-14, 6-10 Pac-12), who snapped a four-game losing streak and completed an Apple Cup Series sweep of their in-state rivals.
Noah Williams added 15 points and made 9 of 10 free-throw attempts, including two with five seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
Jaden McDaniels led the last-place Huskies (13-16, 3-13) with 19 points. Nahziah Carter added 16 points and Isaiah Stewart finished with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Cougars blew a 13-point halftime lead before Bonton sparked a crucial 11-0 run midway through the second half.
With the Cougars trailing 51-50 with 9:19 left, Bonton drove to the basket and had his shot blocked by Washington's Jamal Bey. But Bey had a few words for Bonton after the play and was assessed a technical foul.
Bonton made both free throws to give Washington State a 52-51 lead, and it kept possession. Two seconds later, Elleby drained a 3-pointer.
Bonton added back-to-back treys, the latter with 8:19 remaining, to give the Cougars a 61-51 lead.
Bonton's layup off a turnover made it 66-53 with 7:07 to go, matching the Cougars' biggest lead.
The Huskies pulled within 75-72 on Elijah Hardy's 3-pointer with 1:11 left, and Carter made a layup with 24 seconds remaining to make it 75-74.
Bonton made one of two free throws for a 76-74 Cougars lead after getting fouled with 18 seconds left.
Carter's floater in the lane came up short on the Huskies' next possession, and Williams made two free throws after grabbing the rebound with five seconds remaining to cap the scoring.
--Field Level Media