March 4, 2005

Box Score

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Thomas Kelati and Robbie Cowgill each scored 14 points to help Washington State beat Stanford 59-48 on Thursday night.

Jeff Varem added 14 rebounds and eight points as the Cougars (12-14, 7-10 Pac-10) clinched a spot in next weekend's conference tournament.

Matt Haryasz scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds for Stanford (16-11, 10-7), which saw its NCAA hopes fade. The Cardinal fell into a third-place tie with UCLA. Chris Hernandez added 10 points.

The Cougars - who made 14 of 17 shots (.824) in the second half - snapped an eight-game skid at Stanford and swept the Cardinal for the first time in 12 years. Washington State ended a 17-game losing streak to the Cardinal earlier in the season.

The Cougars held Stanford scoreless for an eight-minute period that spanned both halves and scored 15 unanswered points to grab a commanding 25-12 lead.

The final points of the run were a result of a technical foul called on Stanford coach Trent Johnson, which seemed to ignite the Cardinal. They scored eight straight to climb back into contention with just over 15 minutes remaining.

The Cougars' patience on both ends of the court appeared to frustrate Stanford in the second half, however, as the Cardinal tried to force the action.

Washington State consistently ran the shot clock into single figures on every possession while maintaining a tough-minded approach on defense even when the Cougars fell back into a zone in the final minutes.

Kelati's free throws with 2:50 left gave Washington State a healthy 51-40 lead from which Stanford was unable to recover.

Rebounds were plentiful in the first half - the teams combined for 43 - as neither team could find its rhythm in a scrappy, tough-minded defensive display.

Washington State missed 18 of its first 22 shots and Stanford wasn't much better at 20 percent for the half.

Rob Little, who had 11 rebounds, gave the Cardinal a 12-10 lead with 5:52 left following a three-point play but they didn't score again until the 17:09 mark of the second half and the Cougars settled for a 16-12 halftime advantage.