Cougars Struggle Through Worst Shooting Night in 82-68 Loss at ASU
Men's basketball has lost six straight.
February 5, 1998
TEMPE, Ariz. - Washington State lost for the sixth straight time as the
Cougars struggled through their worst shooting night of the season during an
82-68 loss to Arizona State before 6,032 at the University Activity Center.
The Cougars (8-13 overall, 1-9 Pacific-10) shot season-lows of 36.2 percent
from the field, and 21.4 percent from 3-point range. The six-game losing
streak is the longest for WSU since the Cougars lost the final 18 games of
the 1990 season.
The Sun Devils (15-8 overall, 5-5 Pacific-10) swept the season series with
WSU for the first time since 1992.
Jeremy Veal led five ASU players in double figures with a game-high 20
points. Mike Batiste had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Kab Kazadi paced WSU
with 14 points and Carlos Daniel earned his tenth double-double of the
season by halftime. He finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in a Pac-10
low 32 minutes.
"ASU did a good job of doubling down on Carlos," said fourth-year WSU head
coach Kevin Eastman. "If teams are going to double team Carlos, then we
have to hit open shots. We're going to see that quite often if we continue
to shoot the way we have."
Both teams combined for 23 turnovers in the first 20 minutes as the Sun
Devils led at halftime 34-30. ASU shot 39.3 percent from the field in the
half and WSU shot 31.4 percent.
The Cougars were within three points, 41-38, after a pair of Blake Pengelly
free throws at 16:57. But ASU went on a 14-0 run over the next four
minutes, 38 seconds to take a 55-38 lead. Veal started the run with the Sun
Devils first 3-point basket of the game.
Quotes from Washington State head coach Kevin Eastman - "The second time
around (in Pac-10 play), that's the adjustment that's going to be made in
regard to playing Washington State. I felt both teams played sloppy. They
had more quickness to get to loose balls that we couldn't get to. This game
in particular was a game of missed open shots. I thought we got some of our
better open jump shots that we've had all year, and the shots didn't go in.
And if that's the case, it becomes a long rebound game which often becomes a
quickness game.
Notes
* Cougars shoot season-low 36.2 percent from the field, 21.4 percent from
3-point range.
* Six straight losses, longest streak since 1990
* First time since 1992 the Cougars have been swept by Arizona State, when
Don Newman was a WSU assistant coach.
* 20 turnovers for the 12 time this season.
* Carlos Daniel got his tenth double-double by halftime 12 points, 10
rebounds, but finished with only 13 points in Pac-10 low 32 minutes.
