PULLMAN, Wash. – A hot-shooting second half by Washington State (1-0) was too much for Texas State (0-1) to overcome in the season opener as the Cougars claimed an 83-61 victory Monday night at Beasley Coliseum.
"We played an experienced, talented and well coached team tonight. I thought we showed some promise early on but struggled to sustain it throughout the game," said head coach
Terrence Johnson. "Credit Coach [Kyle] Smith and his players. They made the necessary adjustments that put us in some tough spots. We have to look at this game as a learning experience and grow from it. I'm excited to see how we respond."
Mason Harrell led the Bobcats with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Both
Tyrel Morgan and
Davion Sykes added 10 points apiece. For Sykes, he is the first TXST freshman to net double-figures in their debut since 2019 as he went 5-for-6 from the field.
Dylan Dawson dished out four assists to tie his career-high while
Nate Martin grabbed five rebounds.
Brandon Love added eight points and blocked two shots off the bench.
The Cougars jumped out to a 9-2 lead just over five minutes into the contest. Harrell knocked down a three-pointer to start a 16-3 run over the next 5:38 as the Bobcats went ahead 18-12 on Dawson's triple of the half.
Following a jumper from Sykes for his first collegiate points, WSU scored 12 of the next 14 points to retake the lead and go up by seven. The Cougars would get a three-pointer from DJ Rodman for the final bucket of the period to hold a 38-31 advantage at the break.
Harrell knocked down his second free throw at the 19:08 mark of the second half for his 13 points of the night. It also moved him ahead of Lynwood Wade for 19 on the program's career scoring list.
The Cougars used a quick run of eight straight points followed by a 12-2 run to expand their lead to 58-40 with 13:09 left in the game. Five straight points from TXST was able to cut the deficit to 13 halfway through the second half. However, WSU's hot shooting was too much for the Bobcats to overcome.
Next up for Texas State is its home opener on Thursday when Mid-America Christian comes to Strahan Arena. The game will tipoff at 6 p.m.
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