Nate Calmese drives against Gonzaga, Jan. 11, 2025
Emma Decasa
75
Washington St. WSU 13-5,3-2 WCC
88
Winner Gonzaga Gonz 14-4,5-0 WCC
Washington St. WSU
13-5,3-2 WCC
75
Final
88
Gonzaga Gonz
14-4,5-0 WCC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Washington St. WSU 37 38 75
Gonzaga Gonz 40 48 88

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | WSU Athletic Comm., Hayden Wysup

Second-Half Slump Sours WSU Upset at No. 18 Gonzaga

SPOKANE, Wash. (Hayden Wysup) – The Washington State men's basketball team lost to the No. 18 Gonzaga Bulldogs, 88-75, Saturday night in McCarthey Athletic Center in the programs' first meeting since 2015.  
 
Big Picture: Washington State dropped back-to-back losses for the first time this season, moving to 13-5 and 3-2 in WCC play.
 
Player Performances: Nate Calmese led the team in scoring with 20 points and a career-high eight assists. Calmese delivered his fifth 20-point game and eighth-straight game in double figures. LeJuan Watts had 17 points with six assists and five rebounds. Dane Erikstrup had 11 with seven rebounds. 
 
Turning Points: The Cougars held the lead for most of the first half, entering the locker room down three points. The Zags did not relinquish the lead in the second half, going on a 24-7 run to secure the lead.
 
Up Next: Washington State continues its road swing with a Thursday evening contest at San Diego, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. WSU has play at San Diego only once in its history.

WASHINGTON STATE POSTGAME NOTES
  • With the result, the Cougars:
    • Fall to 13-5 this season and 2-2 in road games
    • Fall to 3-2 in WCC play and 1-1 in WCC road games
    • Fall to 0-1 against ranked teams
    • Fall to 4-1 when wearing anthracite uniforms
    • Fall to 98-53 all-time against Gonzaga
      • Tonight's game marked the 151st all-time meeting and the first meeting since Dec. 2, 2015
      • The 2016-17 season marked the first college basketball season since 1906-07 without a game between Washington State and Gonzaga (108 consecutive seasons)
    • Fall to 1-3 when trailing at halftime
    • Fall to 12-2 when tallying 15+ assists, eclipsing 20 assists for the fifth time this season
    • Fall to 4-2 when scoring between 70-79 points
      • By contrast the Cougs are 9-1 when scoring at least 80 points
    • Fall to 3-3 when allowing 80+ points by the opponent
    • Fall to 9-1 when shooting over 50% from the floor
  • WSU allowed a season-high field goal percentage 55.7%
  • The Cougs allowed a season-high 3-point field goal percentage (.476)
  • Gonzaga tallied 20 assists, the most allowed by a Cougar team this season
  • The Bulldogs committed 12 fouls, the fewest by a WSU opponent this season
  • WSU made a season-low three (3) free throws on a season-low eight (8) attempts
    • The Cougars shot 37.5% from the charity stripe, lowest of the season and lowest since shooting 28.6% (2-7) against New Mexico State, Dec. 1, 2018
    • WSU made its fewest free throws in a game since making two against Arizona, Feb. 10, 2022
  • Nate Calmese delivered a career-high eight (8) assists, the most by a Coug this season, and his 11th game with 5+ assists
    • Calmese finished with a team-high 20 points, his fifth 20-point game and 8th-straight game in double figures
  • LeJuan Watts scored 17 points for his 16th double-digit game this season and 30th of his career
  • Dane Erikstrup finished with 11 points (14th game in double figures) and a team-high seven rebounds, his first time leading the Cougs on the glass
  • ND Okafor finished with two blocks, his 15th game with at least one rejection and eighth game with multiple blocks
  • Parker Gerrits scored a career-high seven points and matched his career-high with two steals
  • Kase Wynott scored a career-high five points
  • WSU started the same lineup for the sixth-straight game with Price, L. Watts, Thrastarson, Calmese, and Erikstrup
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