WSU basketball upsets No. 5 Arizona, wins 74-61 on the road

TUSCON, AZ. — The Washington State University men’s basketball team pulled off one of the biggest upsets this season, beating the No. 5 ranked Arizona Wildcats on the road.

The 6-10 Cougars were coming off a 77-71 loss against Arizona State in Tempe. The Cougars were coming in as 12.5 underdogs against the 14-1 Wildcats, led by former Gonzaga men’s basketball assistant coach Tommy Lloyd.

The Cougs led as many as 18 points against the Wildcats, and Saturday’s game was highlighted by strong play in the front court. WSU’s Mouhamed Gueye had 24 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 45.5 percent from the field. Guard Justin Powell and forward DJ Rodman combined for 23 points in the Cougs’ winning efforts (Powell with 12, Rodman with 11). Guard Jabe Mullins also added 13 points of his own, making 3/4 three-point shots.

Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis scored 29 points and recorded 14 rebounds of his own. Former Zag Oumar Ballo finished the day with 11 points and six rebounds.

The defense for the Cougs showed up as well, holding the Wildcats to 31.7 percent shooting from the field and 16 percent shooting from behind the three-point arc. The Wildcats also shot 60.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Saturday’s win against Arizona is WSU’s first win on the road against a top-5 team in program history and its first win against a top-five team in 40 years.

WSU’s next game is against the University of California Berkeley on Wednesday in Pullman. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.

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