WSU Basketball Teams Lose to Portland in WCC Tournament

Washington State University's men's and women's basketball teams saw their seasons end in the West Coast Conference Tournament after losses to Portland in Las Vegas. The eighth-seeded Cougars men fell 74-68 to the ninth-seeded Pilots on Friday night at Orleans Arena, while the women's team, seeded ninth, lost 72-62 to the fifth-seeded Pilots in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

For the men, the Cougars started strong, leading 29-25 at halftime behind aggressive defense that forced nine Portland turnovers, converting them into 14 points, including nine on fast breaks. Freshman guard Ace Glass paced Washington State with 19 points and five assists, tying a single-season freshman scoring record with 525 points. Jerone Morton also recorded five assists, while ND Okafor and Eemeli Yalaho each grabbed six rebounds. However, the second half shifted momentum as Portland seized a lead with 14:07 remaining and never trailed again. The Pilots' Garrett Nuckolls and Joel Foxwell combined for 13 of 14 free throws, and both Foxwell and Jermaine Ballisager Webb notched double-doubles in points and rebounds. Washington State struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just six of 19 three-pointers, and...