Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Divisional Round
Washington State Cougars (9-11) vs. Colorado Buffaloes (11-9)
Week 11 of the 2022-23 NCAA men’s basketball season wraps up Sunday, January 22, when the Washington State Cougars square off against the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 Conference showdown at CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado.
The tip-off is set for 6:00 PM ET. The Buffaloes open as 5-point home favorites, while the totals are listed at 135.5 points. Colorado and Washington State lock horns for the first time this season after splitting their two-game set in 2021-22.
The Washington State Cougars (9-11; 9-11 ATS; 4-5 conf.) put an end to their three-game winning streak this past Thursday. After beating No. 5 Arizona 74-61, California 66-51, and Stanford 60-59, the Cougars suffered a 77-63 defeat as 3.5-point road underdogs at Utah. Washington State struggled mightily against the Utes’ stout defense, making just 34.4% of its field goals and 26.1% of its 3-pointers (6-for-23).
Sophomore forward Mouhamed Gueye notched 20 points and seven rebounds against Utah. Junior guard Justin Powell had ten points, four boards, and four assists, while fellow junior G Jabe Mullins accounted for 11 points off the bench. The Cougars missed junior guard TJ Bamba (15.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG) due to a hand injury, and Bamba is questionable to play Sunday ag ainst the Buffaloes.
Mouhamed Gueye goes low and uses his body for the finish and the foul! He converts from the charity stripe for his 18th point.
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??https://t.co/ln0CreYybD #GoCougs | #WAZZU pic.twitter.com/dOjizRWACz— WSU Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarMBB) January 20, 2023
Washington State is No. 74 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 68 in the KenPom rankings. The Cougars score 111.9 points per 100 possessions (52nd in the nation) on 48.5% shooting from inside the arc (276th) and 36.4% from beyond the 3-point line (66th). They defend the 3-point well and allow just 5.3 triples per game (16th) on a 30.5 percentage clip (57th). The Cougars surrender 100.0 points per 100 possessions (92nd).