LOS ANGELES – The Washington State men's basketball team (3-8) put together a resilient road effort Sunday afternoon but came up short in a 68-61 loss to Southern California at the Galen Center.
 
The Cougars trimmed a seven-point halftime deficit to one midway through the second half and stayed within striking distance throughout, knocking down nine 3-pointers and holding USC to 1-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc. Rihards Vavers led Washington State with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Jerone Morton and Eemeli Yalaho added 10 points apiece.
 
WSU battled foul trouble for much of the game and sent USC to the free-throw line 34 times, where the Trojans converted 27 attempts. Despite the disparity, the Cougars closed the gap behind timely perimeter shooting from Vavers, Emmanuel Ugbo and Tomas Thrastarson, and cut the margin to 42-38 after Ugbo's 3-pointer with 15:38 remaining.
 
Ugbo finished with six points and six rebounds, while ND Okafor chipped in eight points and four boards. Washington State committed just two turnovers after the break.
 
The Cougars continue nonconference play Wednesday, December 17 at Numerica Veterans Arena in Spokane, Washington in the 509 Classic. WSU will face Eastern Washington in a neutral-site clash at 7 p.m. with coverage on SWX. Tickets are available via TicketsWest.