Dec 22, 2002

Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Thomas Kelati scored 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, as Washington State beat High Point 78-71 on Saturday.

Kelati was one of five Cougars (4-4) to score in double figures. He went 5-for-7 on 3-pointers and tied his career high with five assists.

High Point's Danny Gathings led with career highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds. He went 13-for-22 from the field and 3-for-9 at the free-throw line. Gathings missed five straight free throws late in the game.

The Cougars led 38-30 at the half and 60-46 with 8:30 remaining. High Point (2-6) then scored nine unanswered points, but WSU season scoring leader Marcus Moore and Kelati hit key baskets down the stretch.

Moore, who came into the game averaging 22.4 points, finished with 11 points, six rebounds and a season-high seven assists.

Cedrick Hughey came off the bench to score a career-high 12 points for the Cougars. Shami Gill added 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

High Point, an NCAA Division I school from North Carolina, made its first-ever trip to Washington partly on behalf of senior forward-guard Dustin Van Weerdhuizen of La Center, Wash. Weerdhuizen, the reigning Big South Conference scoring champion, had 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal.