WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (3-0) vs IOWA HAWKEYES (3-0)
Friday, Nov. 15, 2024
7:30 p.m. CT (5:30 p.m. PT)
Moline, Ill.
Vibrant Arena

Cougar Radio Network
KXLY 920AM // KHTR 104.3FM
KTTH 770AM // KONA 610AM
Play-by-Play: Trevor Williams
Analyst: Craig Ehlo

Television & Streaming
B1G Network
Play-by-Play: Kevin Kugler
Analyst: Jess Settles
Producer: Kian Dowlatshahi

Opening Tips
1. Washington State will make its first road trip of the season, Nov. 15, traveling to Moline, Illinois to face the Big Ten's Iowa Hawkeyes in the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown at Vibrant Arena. The Cougars and Hawkeyes have met just one previously, a neutral site loss for WSU at the 1963 Far West Classic in Portland, Oregon. Last season, the Hawkeyes finished just outside the bubble with a NET of 62 and a trip to the secound round of the NIT.

2. Five current WSU players were named the Freshman of the Year for their respective conference prior to arriving at WSU, including Nate Calmese (Southland), Cedric Coward (NWC/D-III), Dane Erikstrup (CCAA/D-II), Ethan Price (Big Sky), and LeJuan Watts (Big Sky).

3. LeJuan Watts recorded his second-consecutive double-double against Idaho, finishing with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

4. WSU has scored 90+ points in all three games, ranking as the 21st highest-scoring offense in the country, while averaging 22.0 free throws per game, 15th in the country.

5. The Cougs have seven players averaging double figures and have had five Cougs with 10+ points in every game to start the year.

LAST TIME OUT
The Cougars defeated Idaho 90-67 Friday night, at Beasley Coliseum, moving to 3-0 with their sixth consecutive  victory in the 279th all-time Battle of the Palouse. Nate Calmese led the game in scoring with 18 points, three assists and three steals. LeJuan Watts recorded his second consecutive double-double with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Dane Erikstrup scored 14 points with three triples, and in his first game with the Cougs, ND Okafor finished with a career-high 12 points, six rebounds, a block, and a steal off the bench.

UP NEXT
WSU The Cougars will host Northern Colorado in the penultimate home game of the nonconference slate in just the second all-time meeting with the Bears. Washington State's David Riley holds a 5-2 record against UNC, sweeping the Bears each of the last two seasons in Big Sky Conference play. Northern Colorado previously traveled to Pullman, Dec. 18, 2021, when Kyle Smith's Cougs defeated the Bears, 82-56, in a season the Cougars went on to advance to the semifinals of the 2022 National Invitiational Tournament.

COUGS REJECT VANDALS AT BORDER
Led by senior Cedric Coward, the Cougars recorded 10 blocked shots in the win over Idaho. Coward rejected a career-high five shots, the most by a Coug since Dishon Jackson had five blocks against Cal in the Pac-12 Tournament, March 9, 2022. WSU eclipsed 10 team blocks for the first time since blocking 10 shots against Portland State, Dec. 2, 2023 in Pullman.

THE CENTURY MARK
When the Cougs defeated Portland State, 100-92, the Cougars eclipsed 100 points for the first time since beating Oregon State, 103-97 in overtime, Feb. 28, 2022, in Corvallis, Ore. It marked the first triple-digit performance at Beasley Coliseum since beating CSUN, 103-94, Nov. 27, 2018. WSU scored 100 points in regulation for the first time since beating Idaho 109-61, Nov. 18, 2021 in Moscow, Idaho.

SLOWING IT DOWN
Since allowing 92 points in the season-opener against Portland State, the Cougar defense has drastically reduced the opponent scoring output, allowing 74 points against Bradley and just 67 points against Idaho.

FAST AND FURIOUS
Wazzu has eclipsed 90 points in every game this season, including a 100-point performance in the season-opener against the PSU Vikings. The Cougs scored 100 points for the first time at Beasley Coliseum since 2018, and the first time in regulation since 2021.

WHO YOU GONNA GUARD?
The Cougars have distributed scoring across the majority of the playing rotation with seven Cougars averaging 10+ points through three games. At least five Cougs have scored in double figures every game, including six in the season-opener and win over Bradley.

OKAFOR BACK ON THE FLOOR
Junior ND Okafor, a transfer from California, played his first minutes as a Coug in Monday's win over Idaho. Okafor missed the first two games due to concussion protocol. In his Cougar debut, Okafor delivered a career-high 12 points, with six rebounds, a block, and a steal.

COWARDS EARNS PRESEASON ALL-WCC
WSU senior transfer Cedric Coward was named to the Preseason All-WCC Team. The EWU transfer started strong with a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double in the Cougs' season opener and has led the Cougars in scoring in both games to start the year.

COUGS PICKED FIFTH IN WCC
Entering the 2024-25 season as an affiliate member of the WCC, Wazzu was selected fifth in the preseason coaches poll. The last time a David Riley team was selected fifth in the preseason conference poll, at EWU in 2022-23, his team rattled off an 18-game unbeaten streak on the way to a Big Sky Conference regular season championship.

'ZAY BACK WITH A BANG
Isaiah Watts, the only returning letterwinner from the 2023-24 roster, scored a career high 20 points in the season-opening win over Portland State, finishing a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line and 4-Siof-5 from 3-point range in a career high 28 minutes.