NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (3-1) vs WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (3-1)
Monday, Nov. 18, 2024
6:32 p.m. PT (9:32 p.m. ET)
Pullman, Wash.
Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum
Capacity: 11,671

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

Television & Streaming
ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Ben Creighton
Analyst: Fran Fraschilla
Producer: David Feldman

Opening Tips
1. The Cougars host Northern Colorado in the penultimate home game of the nonconference slate. Head Coach 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 the only previous program meeting.

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  third-straight double-double (fourth career) Friday night against Iowa, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The sophomore transfer has scored 10+ points every game as a Coug.

4. Nate Calmese scored a season-high 27 points Friday against Iowa, his first 20-point performance since Feb. 25, 2023 as a freshman at Lamar. The junior transfer has scored in double figures every game as a Coug.

5. The Cougs have six players averaging double figures with all five starters plus sixth-man Isaiah Watts.

LAST TIME OUT
Wazzu lost to Iowa, 66-76, Friday night in the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown at Vibrant Arena in Moline, Ill.  Nate Calmese scored a season and game-high 27 points. LeJuan Watts recorded his third-straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. True freshman Kase Wynott made his collegiate debut as a first-half sub. The Cougs struggled from deep, finishing 5-of-28 from 3-point range and had 18 turnovers. Despite the offensive struggles, the game featured nine ties and 16 lead changes.

WHO YOU GONNA GUARD?
The Cougars have distributed scoring across the majority of the playing rotation with six Cougars averaging 10+ points through four games. At least five Cougs have scored in double figures in three of the first four games, while three individuals have tallied 20-point performances.

CALMESE QUICKNESS
Junior Nate Calmese scored a season-high 27 points against Iowa, becoming the third Coug this season with a 20-point game. The Arizona native has tallied 11 steals and led the team in takeaways in all four games. Calmese ranks 18th nationally in steals, and second in the WCC behind Oregon State's Damarco Minor. Calmese finished with 12 made field goals in the loss to the Hawkeyes, the first Coug with 10+ field goals since current Sacramento King's forward Isaac Jones dropped 10 buckets on Washington, Feb. 3, in Seattle.

'JUAN, TWO, THREE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
LeJuan Watts recorded his third-straight double-double in Friday's loss to Iowa, scoring 11 points with a game-high 10 rebounds. The sophomore transfer from EWU has scored in double figures in all four games as a Coug and is averaging 9.8 rebounds per game, 32nd in the country and second in WCC behind SMC's Paulius Murauskas. LeJuan is set to eclipse 200 career rebounds, needing just four boards to reach the milestone early in his sophomore season.

SIXTH SHOOTER 'ZAY
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-of-5 from 3-point range in a career high 28 minutes. Since then, Isaiah has established his role as the spark off the bench, scoring 10+ points in three of the first four games, grabbing 3.8 rebounds per game, and finishing a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line.

WINNING ON THE GLASS
Washington State has outrebounded its opponent in every game this season. The Cougs hold a +10.0 rebounding margin, which ranks 57th nationally and third in the WCC.

NATE APPROACHES TRIPLE DIGITS
Nate Calmese will start his 52nd career game Monday night, seeking to reach a few career milestones, including 100 career assists, 100 career free throws, and 100 career rebounds. Calmese is currently at 99 free throws made, 97 career rebounds, and 90 assists.

OKAFOR BACK ON THE FLOOR
Junior ND Okafor, a transfer from California, played his first minutes as a Coug in the Nov. 11 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. In Friday night's game against Iowa, Okafor pulled in five boards to eclipse 100 career rebounds.

PRICE DELIVERS 200 DIMES
Senior Ethan Price delivered two assists in Friday's game against Iowa, surpassing 200 career assists in his college career.

CHARITY STRIPE CONVERSION
Wazzu is averaging 18.8 made free throws per game, despite just nine points from the stripe against Iowa, top-50 in the nation. The Cougs are shooting 77.3% from the line, second in the WCC, and top-60 in D-I.

UP NEXT
Washington State and first-year head coach David Riley tip off against Coach Riley's former team in the Eastern Washington Eagles at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The schools, separated by approximately 70 miles, first met in January 1907, a 16-10 win for Washington State College over Cheney Normal College in Pullman. WSU holds the all-time edge with a 58-13 record, while Coach Riley twice beat the Cougars as the coach at EWU, including eliminating Wazzu in the first round of the 2023 NIT after a defeated in the nonconference.

COWARD CLAMP DOWN
Coward rejected a career-high five shots in the Cougs' win over Idaho, Nov. 11, 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 in the win for the first time since blocking 10 shots against Portland State last season, Dec. 2, 2023 in Pullman. Coward is currently the Cougs' leading blocker, and sits top of the WCC with eight rejections.

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.

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.