Washington ruins Washington State's shot at Pac-12 title
Koren Johnson scored 23 points, Keion Brooks Jr. added 22 and Washington knocked off No. 18 Washington State 74-68 in the final Pac-12 Conference matchup between the cross-state rivals.
Johnson nailed a corner 3-pointer with 1:21 left that proved to be the final blow, putting the Huskies up 6861 in Pullman.
Washington State (23-8, 14-6) failed to get stops at critical moments and shot 4 of 24 from 3-point range.
The Cougars were hoping for their first conference title since 1941. To get it, they needed a win and one Arizona loss in its final two games — or two Arizona losses.
“Disappointed we couldn't come away with the win, but hats off to them. They played well. They made the big plays that got them the win,” Washington State coach Kyle Smith said.
As for the Huskies, they spoiled what had been a charmed season at home for the Cougars in the final meeting between the schools as members of the Pac-12. The hoops version of the Apple Cup is likely to continue, but it will be with the Cougars in the West Coast Conference and the Huskies in the Big Ten.
“These are the types of games you dream of playing in,” Brooks said. “They're ranked. They're our rival. Last Pac-12 game. That's the stuff you dream about growing up. And the atmosphere was amazing.”
It was Washington's first road win over a ranked opponent since beating Kansas on Dec. 6, 2017.
To take the lead for good, Washington (17-14, 9-11) used an 11-0 run midway through the second half, which included a 3 from Brooks and Johnson's jumper to make it 61-53.
COLORADO 79, OREGON 75 >> J'Vonne Hadley scored at the basket with 12 seconds left to help the Buffaloes (21-9, 12-7) hold off the host Ducks (19-11, 11-8) to take over third place in the Pac-12 Conference.
Jackson Shelstad's layup with 6:39 left pulled the Ducks into a 61-61 tie, but Colorado answered with a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer by Tristan da Silva, a pair of KJ Simpson layups and a Hadley layup to take a 7061 lead with 3:22 left. Jermaine Couisnard had a layup and a 3 to get Oregon within four and his 3 with 36 seconds left got the Ducks within two, but they would not score again.
UC IRVINE 82, CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO 68 >> Andre Henry's 16 points helped the Anteaters (23-8, 16-3 Big West) defeat the Mustangs (4-27, 0-19) at Bren Center. Henry shot 5 for 9 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Anteaters. Derin Saran finished 6 of 8 from the floor to add 13 points.
PEPPERDINE 102, PACIFIC 43 >> Jevon Porter had 28 points in the Waves' rout of the Tigers (6-25) in the opening game of the West Coast Conference Tournament in Paradise, Nev. The eighth-seeded Waves (1219) advance to face fifthseeded San Diego in the second round today. Porter added 11 rebounds.