Washington State is quickly becoming the team nobody wants to face at next month’s Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.
Winners of three straight, the Cougars begin a three-game road trip to conclude the regular season with Thursday’s matchup against host Stanford.
Washington State center Mouhamed Gueye recorded his 12th double-double of the season (18 points, 12 rebounds) in a 68-65 win over Oregon on Sunday. The 6-foot-11 sophomore is averaging 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds through 28 games for the Cougars (13-15, 8-9 Pac-12).
The Cougars’ frontcourt also includes senior forward DJ Rodman, who is averaging career highs in points (9.3), rebounds (5.5) and minutes (30.9) while shooting 41.4 percent from the field.
Rodman delivered a pleasant surprise before the Oregon game, announcing that he will be returning to the school for a fifth season.
“He’s just a really humble guy who jibes with what we want to do,” Washington State coach Kyle Smith said. “He’s been able to take on any role, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench. … He’s the kind of person you want to have in your program. It’s a neat story.
The Cougars are aiming for a season sweep of Stanford (11-16, 5-11) after winning the first meeting 60-59 in Pullman, Wash., on Jan. 14. Washington State prevailed despite being outrebounded 35-23.
Stanford has lost four of its last five, but the victory was a stunning 88-79 win over then-No. 4 Arizona on Feb. 11.
“I am thrilled for our guys,” Stanford coach Jerod Haase said after his team downed the Wildcats. “These guys deserve some positive feelings, and this is certainly a positive one.”
The Cardinal are looking to return to the win column after losing 85-75 to USC on Saturday. Harrison Ingram led Stanford with 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals, while Michael Jones added 14 points.
Ingram has taken a step forward during league play, averaging 11.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists over the last 11 games.
Stanford leads the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting in conference play at 35.6 percent. Max Murrell has led the Cardinal from deep and is shooting 46.3 percent from beyond the arc.
While the Cardinal have battled inconsistency all season, they’ve played well at home. Stanford has won five of its last six games at Maples Pavilion.
–Field Level Media
