PALM DESERT, Calif. – The Washington State men's basketball team defeated Fresno State, 84-73, Tuesday night at the 2024 Acrisure Holiday Invitational at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
Big Picture: Washington State improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 on neutral courts. WSU advances to face the SMU Mustangs tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 6:30 p.m. on truTV in the event championship.
Player Performances: Nate Calmese delivered his second 20-point game with team-high 22 points and a career-high eight rebounds with six assists.
Ethan Price added a season-high 16 points with season-high six assists.
LeJuan Watts scored 14 points with a team-high nine rebounds and
Dane Erikstrup added 13.
Between the Lines: The Cougars controlled the paint and defended the rim, outscoring the Bulldogs 50-34 in the key, while blocking seven shots, and outrebounding Fresno State by nine rebounds (42-33). WSU delivered 20+ assists for the second-consecutive game and shot .531 from the field.
Next Man Up: WSU played without regular starter
Cedric Coward and delivered a complete team performance with sophomore
Isaiah Watts making his first career start. True freshmen
Tomas Thrastarson and
Kase Wynott each played career high minutes and the Cougs had four double-digit scorers.
WASHINGTON STATE POSTGAME NOTES
- With the result, the Cougars:
- Improve to 6-1 this season
- Improve to 2-1 at neutral sites
- Improve to 6-0 in white uniforms
- Improve 10-3 all-time against Fresno State
- Improve to 6-1 when leading at halftime
- Improve to 6-0 when delivering 15+ assists
- Improve to 5-0 when shooting over 50% from the floor
- Improve to 6-0 when scoring 80+ points
- WSU used just its second unique lineup of the year, with Isaiah Watts replacing Cedric Coward
- Isaiah Watts made his first career start in his 38th career game played
- The Cougars recorded 22 assists and posted 20+ assists in consecutive games
- Nate Calmese scored a team-high 22 points, his second 20-point game as a Coug
- Calmese grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, surpassing his previous mark as a freshman at Lamar
- Calmese matched a career-high with six assists
- Calmese has scored in double figures six times in his first seven games
- Ethan Price matched a season-high with 16 points for his fourth double-digit game
- Price matched a career-high with six assists, his most as a Coug
- Dane Erikstrup scored 13 points for his sixth double-digit performance this year
- Erikstrup set a season-high with four steals, one shy of his career high
- Erikstrup set a season-high with two assists
- ND Okafor set a career high with three blocked shots in a season-high 18 minutes
- LeJuan Watts scored 14 points for his sixth double-digit performance in seven games
- Isaiah Watts set a career high with five steals
- Kase Wynott set a career-high with four rebounds in a career-high 14 minutes
- Wynott recorded his first two career assists
- Tomas Thrastarson recorded his first career blocks, tallying two rejections
- Thrastarson also grabbed his first career rebound in a career-high nine minutes
