PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State men's basketball team never trailed en route to a 95-79 win over the Pepperdine Waves, Saturday afternoon at Beasley Coliseum. WSU (9-13, 4-5) jumped out to a 20-point first-half lead and never relented, shooting 53 percent from the floor with six different players scoring in double figures.
 
The Cougars started hot from the 3-point line, burying 10 first-half triples, including four 3-pointers from Simon Hildebrandt and three from Rihards Vavers. In the opening half, the Cougs shot 58.8 percent from downtown and held a 10-point lead at intermission.
 
After halftime, Pepperdine closed the lead to within five points before Ace Glass and ND Okafor took over, delivering double-digit performances in the final 20 minutes. With just over 14 minutes remaining, the Waves pulled within two possessions of Wazzu. The Cougars responded with an 18-3 run over the next five minutes to extend the lead back to 20 points before the under-8-minute media timeout.
 
The WSU bench proved to be the difference, outscoring Pepperdine's bench, 36-8, including the first-career points for freshman Dio Blakely, who also recorded his first collegiate rebound and block.
 
WSU's 16 made three-pointers and 34 total field goals, leading to a season-high 20 assists for the Cougars, who also forced a season-best 15 turnovers by Pepperdine.
 
Washington State continues its home stand with a midweek matchup against Seattle U, Wednesday, January 28. The Cougars and Redhawks will tip off at 6:30 p.m. from Beasley Coliseum in a rematch of December's contest in Seattle. SU escaped with a 68-61 win in the first meeting.