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Men's Basketball Hosts Prairie View A&M Monday

Dec 20, 2020

2020 21 WSU MBB Notes 07 PVAM

WASHINGTON STATE (6-0)
vs Prairie View A&M (1-2) | Mon., Dec. 21 | 4 p.m.
  Live Stats | Sidearm Stats
  Watch | Pac-12 Network (Greg Heister & Dan Dickau)
  Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network (Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo)

OPENING FIVE
> At 6-0 the Cougs are off to their best start since 2017-18 (6-straight to open the season). The Cougs best run/start of the modern era came in 2007-08 going 14-0 to begin the year including winning their first two Pac-12 contests.
> The Cougs begin the final week of non-conference play with a game versus Prairie View A&M Monday evening. WSU is 2-0 all-time against the Panthers including a 131-89 win in 1991, marking the most points scored in program.
> Sophomore Noah Williams has led the Cougs in scoring in three-straight games and has hit double-figures in five-straight including a career-best 21 points against Montana State Friday.
> Even without their leading scorer, the Cougs put together their most dominant offensive effort of the year downing Montana State 82-54. WSU hit 80+ points six times last season including an 82 point effort against Colorado at the Pac-12 Tournament.
> WSU enters the week one of the top defensive units in the country ranking #16 in scoring defense allowing just 57.8 points per game and #5 in effective FG% at just 38.8% allowed.

GAME INFORMATION - VS PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
The Cougs begin their final two non-conference games with a Monday matchup against Prairie View A&M. WSU is 2-0 all-time against the Panthers with both wins coming at home. The two teams have not played since 200, a 103-55 win for WSU. Both games in progam history the Cougs scored over 100 points including a program record 131-78 win in 1991. WSU is 29-3 all-time in games in which it scored 100 points.
The Panthers are 1-2 on the year but have not played since Nov. 29 when they fell 86-64 at Louisville. Jeremiah Gambrell, Jr., has led the way early with 11.7 ppg including scoring 20 points against the Cardinals.

LAST TIME OUT - VS MONTANA STATE
WSU 82 - MSU 54 | Dec. 18, 2020 | Pullman, WA

Freshman Efe Abogidi had his first double-double, Noah Williams scored a career-high 21 points and Washington State beat Montana State 82-54 on Friday night. Abogidi finished with career highs of 19 points and 15 rebounds. Ryan Rapp added 12 points and Andrej Jakimovski had 10 points and seven rebounds for Washington State (6-0).

ABOGIDI TUNING HEADS
Early in his young career, the Cougs appear to have a budding star on their hands in big man Efe Abogidi as the freshman has been dominant in the front court for the Cougs starting all six games and averaged 8.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 1.5 bpg in 21.2 mpg. In addition, he has showed off his range hitting 4-of-8 from deep.
The freshman is fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounding and first in defensive rebounding at 5.83 per game. His 1.5 bpg ranks fifth in the conference.
Abogidi posted his first career double-double against Montana State tallying 19 points and 15 rebounds in a dominant effort. He became the first Cougar to record 15+ rebounds in a game since Drick Bernstine, vs. Bethune-Cookman, Dec. 22, 2017

RIM PROTECTION 
For the first time in a half decade the Cougs have legit rim protectors in the form of sophomore Volodymyr Markovetskyy and Efe Abogidi. With the pair in the middle of the paint the Cougs are averaging 4.2 blocks per game (25 total) with the two shot blockers averaging 1.5 blocks per game a piece. The last time the Cougs averaged over 3.0 bpg came in the 2015-16 season when the team averaged 4.5 bpg led by Valentine Izundu at 2.17 bpg (50 total). The record for the Cougs is 155 total blocks (4.55 bpg) in 2007.
Last season, the Cougs produced just 85 total blocks (2.7 bpg) led by CJ Elleby's 21 total blocks (0.65 bpg).

~ Complete Release ~ (PDF)

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