Isaac Jones became the only player in WSU history to record a double-double in the NCAA Tournament as the Cougar men beat Drake 66-61 on Thursday night in Omaha.
Jones’ 20 points and 11 rebounds helped the Cougars (25-9) overcome a poor shooting performance and late second-half deficit to win their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008. In that fateful year, WSU great Klay Thompson led the Cougar men’s basketball team to the Sweet 16. The men’s basketball team now advances to play Saturday in the East Region second round against No. 2 Iowa State (28-7), which beat South Dakota State 82-65. Tip-off is set for 3:10 p.m. and can be watched live on TNT.
Back home in Pullman on Thursday night, the Cougar women’s basketball team led from buzzer to buzzer as they rolled past 8th-seeded Lamar 66-46 to advance to the second round of the WBIT. Tickets for the Sunday, March 24, matchup at Beasley Coliseum with No. 4-seeded Santa Clara are available online.
Tara Wallack led the way with 15 points to go with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Eleonora Villa also scored in double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a block, and a steal to help secure the team’s advance to the second round. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and can be watched in person at Beasley or live on ESPN+.
WSU’s victories Thursday night continue an unparalleled streak of success for Head Coaches Kyle Smith and Kamie Ethridge. Check out this recent Insider article to learn more about how Smith and Ethridge are building programs of excellence both on and off the court.
