Longest running rivalry in the Pac tips off Monday in Corvallis
at ORegon State (3-24, 1-16) | Mon., Feb. 28 | 8 pm | Gill Coliseum
Live Stats | StatBroadcast
Watch | ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein & Ben Braun)
Listen | WSU Learfield Radio Network (Matt Chazanow & Craig Ehlo)
OPENING FIVE
> The Cougs and the Beavers face off in the first of back-to-back contests in the final week of Pac-12 play. The series is the second longest continuous rivalry in college basketball and the longest in Pac-12 play.
> Michael Flowers moved to 6th on the Cougs' single-season 3pt list with 79 on the year - he is coming off the Cougs' first 30 point game of the season at UW.
> Mouhamed Gueye is coming off one of his best week as a Coug scoring a career high 25 points on Wednesday in his first Apple Cup while adding 10&7 in Seattle Saturday.
> The Cougs defense continues to be among the elite ranking 23rd in defensive rating at 94.2 per 100. WSU has allowed opponents to shoot and effective FG% of just 47.1% (55 in the country).
> WSU's currently sits in 7th place in the Pac-12 looking at a date with Cal in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament next week. However with three games to play and a bunching in the middle the team can theoretically finish anywhere from 4th to 9th place.
GAME INFORMATION - at OREGON STATE
The Cougs play their final regular season road contest Monday in Corvallis in the first of back-to-back contests against Oregon State. The game Monday is a rescheduled contest from a previously postponed game due to Covid-19 protocols. Last season the Cougs and the Beavers split their season series with both teams winning on their home courts.
The series between the two schools is the third longest continuous running rivalries in the country trailing only WSU vs Idaho (1906) and Baylor vs Texs (1908). The two teams have played every year since Feb. 20, 1909 (OSU won 30-16) with the Beavers holding the all-time lead at 175-126.
Last year at Oregon State it was the duo of DJ Rodman (14&7) and Ryan Rapp (15) that led the way in the close loss to the Beavers.
NEXT UP
The Cougs and the Beavers face off for a second time in the penultimate game of the regular season Thursday night in Pullman. Aftre finishing off the back-to-back with the Beavers the Cougs finish off the regular season against Oregon Saturday on CBS. WSU is looking for revenge after a suffering a tough three-point loss to the Ducks in Eugene just a few weeks prior. In the game Michael Flowers went for 23 points and nearly single-handedly brought the Cougs back from down 9 in the last minute, hitting back-to-back threes before the game-tying attempt rattled out in the final seconds.
LAST TIME OUT - at WASHINGTON
UW 78 - WSU 70 | Feb. 26, 2022 | SEATTLE
The Cougs fell for the first time in Seattle in three seasons as the Huskies came back from six down at the break to earn the split in the Boeing Apple Cup Series. The Cougs dropped the contest despite a 30-point outing out of Michael Flowers as the star senior drilled a career high 7 three pointers. The 30 points were a season high for the Cougs in Seattle since CJ Ellebe scored 34 in the 2018-19 season.
BOMBS AWAY
Entering the week the Cougs continue their perch atop of the Pac-12 as the top three-point shooting team leading the way with 8.9 3ptFG per game (47th in the country) on 25.7 3ptFGA per game (57th in the country). The Cougs are shooting 33.3% from deep on the year.
On the year the Cougs have made 10+ three-pointers on 12 occassions going 9-3 in those contests.
Super senior Michael Flowers leads the attack at 2.8 3ptFG per game while Tyrell Roberts if fifth in the Pac as 2.2 per game.
At USC on Feb. 20, the Cougs drilled 15 of 31 from deep. The 15 tied for the 4th most in program history and the most in the Kyle Smith Era.
Flowers posted a season high and career high 7 three-pointers in the loss at Washington.
FLOWERS AT THE HELM
Known for his scoring after posting 21.0 ppg at South Alabama last season, senior year transfer Michael Flowers has proven he is much more than a hired gun for the Cougs as the fifth-year guard has done a little bit of everything for the Cougs. Flowers opened his WSU career by posting 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in the season opener. The 11 rebounds were the most for a Coug in an opener since Robert Franks nabbed 11 in the 2018-19 tip-off game while it was also the most rebounds for a Coug guard since Isaac Bonton posted 12 against Incarnate Word Dec. 21, 2019.
He posted the Cougs' first 30-point game of the year at Washington while tying a career high with 7 made three-pointers.
Flowers has averaged a team-best 13.9 points to go with 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
He is 1st in the Pac in 3pt shooting at 2.8 per game on 38.2% shooting. He has a True Shooting% of 56.3%.
Flowers has hit at least one three-pointer in 33 straight games dating back to his time at South Alabama.
He has posted an offensive rating of 118.5.
Of eligible FT shooters Flowers is 1st in the Pac-12 at 87.0% (66-77).
Reocrd book watch - 79 3ptFG, 6th all-time | Next up 5th, Thomas Kelati (2005), 81, 4th, Eddie Hill (1994), 83
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