Washington State (9-10, 1-6) at Washington (14-6, 4-3)
Sunday, 5 p.m.
Alaska Airlines Arena (Hec Ed)
TV: ESPNU Radio: KOMO
The 14-6 Washington Huskies are set to face the struggling 9-10 Washington State Cougars.
In Washington’s first meeting with the Cougars on January, 6, the Huskies faced adversity both on and off the court. Off the court, UW didn’t get to the team hotel until around 3 a.m. due to foggy conditions in the area. UW’s plane couldn’t land in Pullman and had to fly all the way back to Seattle before getting on another flight to Spokane. By the time the team got to the hotel they had just 10 hours until their game against the Cougars.
On the court, the Huskies trailed by double-digits in the second half but were sparked by Carlos Johnson who scored eight big points in the second half. The Huskies went on to beat the Cougars, 70-65.
This time around, the Huskies will host Washington State in what is expected to be a near sold out crowd. As of a few days ago, there were less than 250 tickets available for the game.
This game means much more for the Huskies other than it being a rivalry game. Washington has been the surprise of the Pac-12 and are currently sitting on the bubble of the NCAA tournament.
The Huskies come in with a 4-3 conference record despite their poor offensive play. Washington is averaging just 67.9 points per game in Pac-12 play – ranking No. 11 in the conference. But the reason UW already has three conference road wins, is their supreme defensive play. Washington ranks No. 2 in the conference conference, allowing just 68.7 points per game.
It will again be important for the Huskies to limit Washington State’s 3-point attempts on Sunday. The Cougars rank No. 1 in the conference, shooting 39.2% from 3-point range. On the other hand, UW ranks No. 1 in 3-point defense. Opponents are shooting just 27.4% from 3-point range against UW in conference play. In the first meeting, WSU made just 7-27 three-point attempts.
Bracketology
Washington is right on the bubble of the NCAA tournament according to many experts. In Jerry Palm’s latest bracket, he has the Huskies in as a No. 11 seed. Joe Lunardi has UW as one of his first teams out of the tournament. It’s still early but Washington has put themselves in a good position if they keep winning to secure a spot in the dance.
