UW wins Pac-10 title at WSU’s expense
COUGARS
Just a quick post because we have to get to the post-game interviews. The Cougars had their opportunities, which is an improvement over earlier in the season. Back then, playing without Klay Thompson in the second half, with an amped crowd that wanted a Pac-10 title solo, and struggling to get shots against a UW defense that was so passive the Huskies didn't pick up a foul in the second half until there were 8 minutes, 26 seconds left, the Cougars would have been blown out. That didn't happen Saturday. What did happen, though, is UW exposed the Cougars' lack of depth. Without Thompson and Marcus Capers, also saddled with foul trouble, there were stretches in the second half WSU had to have Nik Koprivica bring the ball up. Taylor Rochestie kept WSU in the game on the offensive end, finishing with 23 points. The Cougar defense did the rest, refusing to yield despite UW's repeated onslaughts until after the final media time out with 3:55 left. But in the end UW had too many second-chance points, too many points off turnovers – though WSU had just 10 – and too much firepower for WSU (three players in double figures, including 16 for Quincy Pondexter). We'll be back in about two hours with our game story. Until then …