WSU Travels to Boise for First Road Trip

Nov 11, 2022

OPENING FIVE
1. The Cougars travel to Boise, Idaho to face the Boise State Broncos in the ICCU Capital City Classic at Idaho Central Arena, Saturday Nov. 12, at 5 p.m. MT with coverage on the Mountain West Network. Last year, the Cougs and Broncos met in Spokane, Dec. 22, 2021 at Spokane Arena. BSU won the contest 58-52, while WSU's Andrej Jakimovski recorded his first-career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
2. Last time out, the Cougs opened the season with a 83-61 victory over Texas State, Monday, Nov. 7 in Pullman. Four Cougars scored in double figures as Wazzu improved to 100-22 all-time in season openers and won its 33rd-consecutive Beasley Coliseum opener.
3. Junior transfer Justin Powell dished out a career-high 12 assists in his WSU debut, the most assists by a Coug in a season opener since assists became an official stat in the 1985-86 season and the most by a WSU player in any game in 13 years, when Reggie Moore tallied 12 assists against Portland State, Dec. 19, 2009. It's also the first double-double with assists since Malachi Flynn dished out 11 assists to go with 11 points against Arizona, Jan. 31, 2018.
4. Sophomore Mouhamed Gueye picked up where he left off after his freshman season, leading the Cougars with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds en route to his fourth-career double-double.
5. Justin Powell earned his first career double-double 14 points and 12 assists to go along with Mouhamed Gueye's double-double, marking the first time two Cougs have posted a double-double since CJ Elleby (20 pts, 10 rbd) and Robert Franks (18 pts, 12 rbd) against California, March 2, 2019.

COUGARS vs BRONCOS
Washington State travels to Boise, Idaho to face Boise State University, Saturday, Nov. 12 in the ICCU Capital City Classic at Idaho Central Arena. Tipoff in the neutral site contest is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. PT with coverage on the Mountain West Network. Last season the Cougs and Broncos met, Dec. 22, 2021, at Spokane Arena with BSU completing a 58-52 victory. WSU then-sophomore Andrej Jakimovski earned his first-career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. BSU returns this season with two double-digit scorers from last year's contest in starters Marcus Sharver Jr. and Tyson Degenhart, in addition to now starter Max Rice. Last season's loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Cougs against the Broncos and dropped their all-time series record to 4-3 against Boise State.

LAST TIME OUT - vs TEXAS STATE
WSU 83 - TXST 61 | NOV. 7, 2022 | Pullman, Wash.
Mouhamed Gueye scored 18 points and snared a career-high 13 rebounds as Washington State opened the season with an 83-61 win over Texas State on Monday night. The Cougars held a seven-point lead at intermission but pulled away to start the second half. Justin Powell turned a three-point play and Gueye dunked twice, converted a three-point play and added a layup as they pushed their lead to 14 points, 52-38 in the first five minutes of the second half and never looked back.

NEXT UP
Washington State will travel to Texas to face Prairie View A&M, Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. PT in the Pac-12 / SWAC Legacy Series. The match will stream live on ESPN+ with simulcast on Pac-12 Washington from William Nicks Arena on the Prairie View A&M campus.

GUEYE TAKING OVER
Sophomore Mouhamed Gueye, a preseason All-Pac-12 selection and five-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week last season, picked up where he left off, leading the Cougars in scoring and rebounding in the season opener versus Texas State. The 6-11 forward picked up his fourth-career double-double and led the Cougs in scoring for the third time of his career.

POWELL'S PERFECT PASSING
Junior transfer Justin Powell dished out a career-high 12 assists in his WSU debut, the most assists by a Coug in a season opener since assists became an official stat in the 1985-86 season and the most by a WSU player in any game in 13 years, when Reggie Moore tallied 12 assists against Portland State, Dec. 19, 2009. It's also the first double-double with assists since Malachi Flynn dished out 11 assists to go with 11 points against Arizona, Jan. 31, 2018.

MULLINS' DREAM DEBUT
Junior transfer Jabe Mullins wasted no time opening his scoring account at WSU. Mullins scored the opening basket for the Cougs, a fast-break layup 3-point play after a block from TJ Bamba at the defensive end. Mullins finished the game with 13 points in a career-high 34 minutes played, and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, both career highs.

ROSARIO'S RETURN
Junior Carlos Rosario made his return for the Cougars in the season opener versus Texas State. It had been 627 days (Feb. 18, 2021) since Rosario last played for Wazzu, having to medically redshirt his sophomore season after playing just seven games his freshman season due to medical issues. In his return to the court, Rosario scored his first-career field goal and finished with a career-high six points and three rebounds.

MAEL BLOCK PARTY
True freshman and Parisian Mael Hamon-Crespin made his collegiate debut against Texas State. Hamon-Crespin picked up two points in the win and a team-high three blocks. The Frenchman's three denials tie for second most in the country by a true freshman in their debut and the most blocks by a WSU freshman in a season opener since DeAngelo Casto blocked four shots against Mississippi Valley State, Nov. 15, 2008.

RODMAN RETURNING VETERAN
As the Cougars' veteran senior, Rodman entered WSU's starting lineup in the season opener against Texas State. Rodman scored 16 points, the most since scoring a career high 21 points against Northern Colorado, Dec. 18, 2021. Rodman tallied 13 first-half points in Monday's win, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc to lead all scorers at the break. He finished with a +14 plus-minus and 4-of-7 from 3-point range.

COUGAR DEBUTS
In the season opener versus Texas State, seven players made their WSU debut, including four Cougar freshmen (Darling, Diongue, Hamon-Crespin, and Houinsou), two junior transfers (Mullins, Powell), and one redshirt-senior (Olesen).

ABOUT THE 2022-23 COUGARS
Washington State men's basketball tips off the 2022-23 season, Monday, Nov. 7, hosting Texas State at Beasley Coliseum. Tip off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. with coverage on the Pac-12 Network. WSU returns five letterwinners from last season's team, including two starters in TJ Bamba and Mouhamed Gueye. The Cougars welcome 10 new faces to the roster, including seven freshmen, two junior transfers, and a returning senior redshirt in Ben Olesen. After losing three starters including All-Pac-12 First Teamer and leading scorer Michael Flowers, the Cougs will look to preseason All-Pac-12 honoree Mouhamed Gueye to lead the way in the paint in 2022-23.

WASHINGTON STATE IN SEASON OPENERS
The Cougs improved to 100-22 all-time in season openers and 61-8 when opening the season at home. WSU has won every season opener when opening at Beasley Coliseum and its last 27 season openers at home. WSU has won 33-consecutive Beasley Coliseum openers (not necessarily the first game of the season, but the first at home), with their last loss coming to BYU, Dec. 3, 1987.

JACKSON & RICE OUT INDEFINITELY
The Cougars will be without junior Dishon Jackson or redshirt freshman Myles Rice. Both are out indefinitely due to medical issues. Rice announced publicly in October he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is undergoing treatment. Jackson did not disclose his medical issue and asked for privacy.

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