PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State men's basketball team held Seattle U to a season-low 58 points and never trailed in the second half, defeating the Redhawks 70-58, Wednesday night at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars attempted a season-low 45 shots, shooting an efficient 55.6 percent from the floor with 25 field goals.
 
WSU jumped out to a double-digit first-half lead thanks to leading scorer Rihards Vavers with 16 first-half points. The Latvian delivered a Division-I career-high 24 points against Seattle, including a career-high five 3-pointers and eight field goals.
 
Midway through the opening period, Washington State opened up a 10-point lead, shooting 77% from the floor, while holding the Redhawks to just 24% shooting. The Cougars maintained the lead into intermission, a slight 36-30 advantage, after a run from Seattle to close the period.
 
The Cougars came out playing physically in the second half, forcing Seattle's three leading scorers to the bench with foul trouble. WSU's ND Okafor took advantage of the opportunity, expanding the lead to 55-42, the largest lead of the game. Okafor finished with 13 points, complementing Ace Glass who added 14 second-half points.
 
Okafor grabbed eight rebounds and dished a career-high four assists. Eemeli Yalaho led the team on the glass with nine rebounds, while Adria Rodriguez led in distribution with five assists.
 
Washington State concludes its three-game home stand and the month of January hosting the Portland Pilots, Saturday, January 31, at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars and Pilots will tip off at 3 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+. The programs met December 28 in Portland when WSU won 67-62.