PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State men's basketball team (5-8) defeated the Mercer Bears, 84-78, Saturday afternoon at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman to conclude nonconference play. Five Cougars scored in double figures, led by true freshman Ace Glass with 24 points.
 
In the first meeting between the programs, the Cougars and Bears traded runs in the opening half with eight lead changes and five ties. WSU entered the break with a narrow 41-39 advantage before starting the second half on a 20-9 run in the first nine minutes. The Cougars built a double-digit lead, including a furious 8-0 run over 80 seconds, just before the 11-minute mark.
 
The Cougars' Ace Glass and Eemeli Yalaho carried WSU in the opening stanza with 26 combined points and nine of WSU's 17 rebounds. Yalaho finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, marking his third-career double-double. Glass and Yalaho's offensive power opened up opportunities for scorers in the second half, as Rihards Vavers knocked down three 3-pointers over a three-minute stretch to extend WSU's lead.
 
ND Okafor added 10 points and recorded at least one block for an eighth-consecutive game. Tomas Thrastarson also scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.
 
Washington State's bench was outscored 3-16 in the first half, before outscoring Mercer's bench 16-0 in the second half. While WSU allowed a season-high 75 shot attempts, the Cougars held the Bears under 45% shooting, while shooting over 53% from the floor themselves and improved to 5-1 this year when making half their field goals.
 
The Cougars will have a week's respite for the Christmas holiday before returning to Pullman to prepare for West Coast Conference action. WSU begins conference play on the road at Portland, Sunday, December 28. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+.