Field Level Media
Jan 27, 2024
Jaylen Wells had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Isaac Jones added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and the Washington State Cougars beat the Colorado Buffaloes 78-69 in Pullman, Wash., on Saturday.
Myles Rice also scored 17 points and Andrej Jakimovski contributed 11 points for Washington State. The Cougars (15-6, 6-4 Pac-12) have won five of their last six.
KJ Simpson scored 25 points, Tristan da Silva had 16 points and Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Julian Hammond III each finished with 10 points for Colorado (15-6, 6-4), which had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Washington State led by six at intermission and quickly increased the advantage. Jones had a putback dunk, Wells and Rice hit jumpers and Jones made a layup to give the Cougars a 48-36 lead with 13:18 left in the second half.
The Buffaloes responded with an 8-0 run to get within four with 11:27 left but the Cougars again stretched the advantage.
Kymany Houinsou made two free throws, Wells hit a jumper and dunked and Isaiah Watts drained one from deep to cap an 11-2 run and make it 59-46 with 8:37 remaining.
After a timeout, da Silva scored the next five points to spark a surge by Colorado. J'Vonne Hadley hit a jumper, Simpson made four straight free throws and a 3-pointer to pull the Buffaloes within 63-60 with 3:29 left.
Jones stopped Colorado's momentum with a layup, Simpson and Rice traded a pair of free throws each and Lampkin made a layup to make it 67-64 with 1:33 left.
Rice hit two layups to make it a seven-point game but Simpson answered with a 3-pointer to bring the Buffaloes within 71-67 with 34 seconds left.
Jones sealed it with a three-point play with 28 seconds left.
The Cougars led by eight points midway through the first half but Colorado rallied to tie it at 22-all on two free throws by Cody Williams. Washington State scored the next seven points to lead 29-22, the Buffaloes got back within three but the Cougars took a 36-30 advantage into halftime.
--Field Level Media