Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Washington St. preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2012 ) Arkansas-Pine Bluff 38, Washington St. 66

Washington State tries for its sixth straight victory and a perfect December when it hosts struggling Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday. The Cougars are coming off an 87-59 victory over Incarnate Word on Dec. 21 - scoring a season-high 87 for the second straight contest - and have one game left to continue getting the kinks out before Pac-12 play begins Thursday against USC.

“We’ve been kinda chopping away the last three weeks or so (on offense),” Washington State coach Kyle Smith told the Bonner County Daily Bee. “Trust me, it’s been a focus. The goal was to get the competitive spirit on (the defensive) end of the floor. We’re definitely transitioning.” The Cougars will be without senior point guard Jaylen Shead, who missed the Incarnate Word game and will sit at least the next two with a hip injury as Smith said: "That hip has been chronic. Just shutting him down (for a couple of weeks) is probably the best.” Arkansas-Pine Bluff has lost five straight after an 86-53 setback at North Texas on Dec. 21 and has dropped 10 of 11 to start the season. The Golden Lions have been outscored by an average of 23.1 points this season - the third-worst margin in the country entering Saturday - and their 50 points per game are the fewest among the 350 Division I teams.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (1-10): Junior forward Shaun Doss averaged a team-high 12.3 points in three games before missing the last eight because of injury. Junior forward Markedric Bell (9.3 points) picked up the slack with 48 points in three contests after Doss went down but has scored 25 in four games since. Junior forward Dequan Morris scores 8.8 per game after recording 12 versus North Texas while senior forward Marquell Carter averages 8.7 points and a club-best 5.3 rebounds, and has exceeded that number in the last two contests.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (8-4): Sophomore forward CJ Elleby paces the team with 19.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game but scored only 13 versus Incarnate Word after totaling 65 points and shooting 21-for-34 from the field in the previous three contests. Junior guard Isaac Bonton (12.7 points) matched a career high with 19 points and pulled down a personal-best 12 rebounds to record his first double-double in the last game. Senior forward Jeff Pollard (10.1 points) is enjoying his best season and is averaging 13 points over his past three contests.

TIP-INS

1. The Cougars defeated New Mexico State 63-54 on Dec. 7 while the Golden Lions lost to the Aggies 65-40 on Dec. 18.

2. Twenty-two players have appeared in at least one game for Arkansas-Pine Bluff this season.

3. Washington State has not trailed for 140 minutes, 50 seconds.

PREDICTION: Washington State 75, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 47