PULLMAN, Wash. – Seniors Josh Hawkinson and Ike Iroegbu led the Cougars with 15 and 14 points, respectively, and freshman Malachi Flynn added 12 points, as Washington State men's basketball defeated Carroll College, 78-70, in exhibition action, Sunday at Beasley Coliseum.

Hawkinson, added 13 rebounds for a double-double, while Flynn, added 3 assists. Iroegbu was 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range. Junior Derrien King added 11 points to round add the double-figure scorers. 

All nine Cougars to see action scored, as sophomore Robert Franks added 7 points, senior Charles Callison and freshman Jeff Pollard each had 6, sophomore Viont'e Daniels had 5 points and senior Conor Clifford added 2. Callison had a team-high 4 assists. 

As a team the Cougars shot .456 from the field (26-for-57) and .500 from 3-point range (8-for-16). They were a perfect 1.00 from the free throw line, converting all 18 attempts. 

Carroll College was led by Match Burnham and Zach Taylor, each with 19 points. Burnham was 12-for-15 from the free throw line, while Taylor made a team-high 3 3-pointers. Burnham led the Saints with 9 boards, as Matt Wyman chipped in 8 rebounds and 5 points. Dane Warp added 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting. 

Carroll College picked up right where it left off to open the second half, scoring the first two points less than 40 seconds in. King countered with a 3, to pull WSU to 37-29 with 19 minutes to go. The Saints extended their lead to 11 points, 44-33, before the Cougars made a run, led by 2 3-pointers by King and one by Iroegbu, to tie the game at 49 with 12 minutes to go in the game.

The game tilted back and forth, before Washington State took a 61-59 lead with 7:37 to go off a 3-pointer by Flynn. Pollard made back-to-back WSU baskets as the Cougars took a 4-point, 65-61 lead, with 6:22 to go. Just when it looked like the Cougars would break away, the Saints found ways to stay in the game, trailing 74-68 with just over a minute to go. 

A layup by Iroegbu, followed by a bucket by Taylor for Carroll College, gave WSU a 76-70 lead with 42 seconds to go. That began the Saints' fouling as Flynn made his two free throw attempts. A Carroll College miss next time down the court sealed the WSU victory, as the Cougars held on for a 78-70 victory.

The Cougars scored first to open the game, but Carroll College jumped out to a 7-4 lead with 15:50 to go in the first half. The Saints extended that lead to 4 at 14-10 with 12:30 to go, before the Cougars pulled within one off a 3-pointer by Flynn with 11:10 to go in the half. 

Carroll College took the lead once again, before Washington State took its final lead of the first half, 17-16, with 8:21 to go in the half off a layup by Iroegbu. WSU trailed by 3 with 2:55 to go, before Carroll College used a 6-0 run to lead 35-26 at halftime.