PULLMAN, Wash. – Junior Josh Hawkinson had 29 points and 9 rebounds, while newcomer, junior Charles Callison, added 10 points and 3 assists as Washington State University men’s basketball defeated Lewis-Clark State, 81-74 in exhibition action, Friday, at Beasley Coliseum.
Redshirt junior Que Johnson was the third Cougar in double figures with 11 points. Johnson led the team with 2 blocked shots and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Hawkinson added a blocked shot and was 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Senior Junior Longrus added 7 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Junior Ike Iroegbu had a game-high 7 assists, adding 9 points, a block and a steal.
LCSC was led by Jacob Wiley and Doug McDaniel with 13 points apiece, while Ty Higbie added 12 points and Derrick White chipped in 10. Wiley added a team-high 5 rebounds.
The Cougars shot .518 from the field, while the Warriors shot .387. The visitors attempted 36 3-pointers, over have of their shots, connecting on 12 for a .333 clip. The Cougars were 4-for-13 from beyond the arc for .308.
The Cougars looked like they were going to put the game away, up by as many as 27 with 8:58 to go in the game. However, LCSC used a 28-14 advantage over the Cougars from the 13:19 mark in the second half until the 2:34 mark, to pull within 11, 75-67. The Warriors didn’t go away, coming within 5 points with one minute to go in the game at 79-75. The Cougars were able to hold off the run and hold on for an 81-74 victory.
Both teams got off to slow starts as the game was tied at 4 just over three minutes into the game. The Cougars took their first lead of the game at 6-4 off Callison’s second bucket of the game with 15:11 remaining in the half. Leading 8-6 at the 13-minute mark, Callison led a 9-0 run, giving the home team a 17-6 advantage. The Warriors put together a run of their own, tying the game at 19 with 6:30 left to go in the first half.
The LCSC run was diffused as WSU countered with an 8-0 run to lead 27-19 with 4:22 to go in the half. The run became a 13-3 run as the Cougars led 32-22 with 3:09 to play in the first. The teams went back-and-forth in the final minutes of the first, as WSU took a 43-30 halftime lead into the locker room thanks to a last-second floating 3-pointer by Iroegbu.
Hawkinson led WSU in the first half with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. He added a team-high 5 boards. Callison and Johnson had 8 points apiece. Longrus had 3 of the team’s 10 first-half assists, adding a steal, 2 points and 3 rebounds.
For the first time since the 2003-04 season, Washington State will host two exhibition games. The second one will be featured in a ‘Flashback Friday’ game the Friday of ‘Dad’s Weekend’, Nov. 6 against Pacific of Forest Grove, Ore., at Bohler Gym. The game will honor former WSU head coach and basketball hall of famer, George Raveling. The Cougars called Bohler Gym home until the 1973-74 season when Beasley Coliseum opened. It’s the current home of the Washington State volleyball team. The football team will host Arizona State the following day, Saturday, Nov. 7 at Martin Stadium.
The Cougars open up the regular season in a men’s/women’s doubleheader hosting Northern Arizona, Friday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum. Last season the Lumberjacks fell in the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).
Notes:
- Six Cougars saw their first action on the court in a WSU uniform…junior college-transfer Charles Callison was the lone newcomer to start notching 29 minutes.
- Four of the six newcomers to see action scored…Callison led with 10 points.
- For the second-straight season, Josh Hawkinson scored at least 25 points in the opening exhibition game, finishing with 29.
- WSU assisted on 18 of 29 made field goals.
