SEATTLE, Wash. — Leaving the floor at Hec Edmundson Pavilion was a big party line of yelling, smiling and fist-pumping heading to the locker room.
Don’t tell the Washington State Cougars that their 84-80 win over the host Washington Huskies in the 'Apple Cup’ men’s basketball exhibition game didn’t mean much Sunday.
It was their first win together as a new group.
Five Cougars scored in double figures, led by Ronnie Harrison’s double-double - 23 points and 11 rebounds. WSU made nine 3-pointers in the game and outrebounded the Huskies, 40-32.
“It is definitely a great momentum-builder,” WSU point guard Lazerek Houston said. “Especially from New Mexico (a first 94-62 exhibition loss) where things didn’t go our way - bouncing back and coming to win this, it means a lot.”
Based on their final-exhibition showing, here are five WSU players who look ready for the regular season to tip off Monday at home against Davidson:
1. Ronnie Harrison, small forward
Given his inside-outside importance and how he impacts both sides of the court, Harrison is the team’s most important contributor this season.
Case in point: During one of the Cougars’ lull periods early in the second half, WSU came back to life only after Harrison began seeing the basketball.
After not taking a shot for the first 8:20 of the second half, Harrison went on his own 10-0 run - starting with a mid-air acrobatic putback basket. He followed with a mid-range face-up bank shot and turnaround bucket. He punctuated it with a transition dunk, giving the Cougars a 56-52 lead with 9:54 remaining.
“It is a little bit tougher in our offense where we’re giving guys a lot of freedom,” WSU coach David Riley said. “And they have to choke on that freedom sometimes.
“I thought Ronnie changed the game. … He really did a great job of playing with force.”
2. Lazerek Houston, point guard
There were stretches where Houston was too aggressive - almost too selfish - in seeking out the dynamic one-on-one buzz-creators against the Huskies.
He sat down for a six-minute stretch midway through the second half. When he returned, he proved to be a finisher for the Cougars with a midcourt steal, which led to a UW foul and two made free throws to give WSU a 73-65 lead with 2:28 remaining.
Houston was second on the team with 15 points, including a 12-for-14 showing from the free-throw line, and added four assists.
3. Jaylen Harrell, off guard
Harrell didn’t start, but the Providence transfer was certainly on the floor for the finishing flurry.
He scored 11 points, leading the squad with three 3-pointers, including a second-chance 3-pointer after his own miss that extended the Cougars’ lead to 71-65 with 3:28 remaining.
Riley raves about Harrell’s perimeter shooting and overall acumen - two things that are a natural fit in WSU’s system.
4. Casey Jones, small forward
Was efficient throughout his 20 minutes (3-for-3 from the floor, including two 3-pointers), and his late-game toughness, especially on the defensive end, was key for the Cougars finally putting this game away.
Jones is a Riley favorite - the former Eastlake (Wash.) and Wasatch Academy (Utah) product was with him for three seasons at Eastern Washington University before serving on a multi-year LDS mission.
In a standalone 3-point shooting contest, Jones would be one of the team’s betting favorites. Now, about those free throws (2-for-9 against UW) …
5. Jamari Phillips, off guard
When he’s feisty and thoroughly engaged in the action, Phillips is a handful - on both ends.
And since the two players share a similar position - and role - Phillips is a higher-ceiling, lower-floor version of Harrell.
The Oregon transfer tallied 12 points, including a deep 3-pointer that gave the Cougars a 32-31 lead late in the first half after the visitors climbed out of an early nine-point hole.
He also made two game-sealing free throws with 4.1 seconds to go
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