CJ Elleby scored a game-high 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds as host Washington State defeated Idaho State 72-61 on Sunday afternoon in a non-conference game in Pullman, Wash.
Guard Isaac Bonton, a transfer from Casper (Wyo.) College, added 15 points and a game-high four assists for the Cougars (2-1), who won their eighth straight in the series and improved to 10-1 all-time against the Bengals. Forward Jeff Pollard added 11 points and six rebounds.
Guard Jared Stutzman led Idaho State (2-2) by scoring 21 points, making 5 of 8 3-point attempts. Forward Chier Maker added 15 points and six rebounds.
Washington State limited guard Tarik Pool, Idaho State's leading scorer, to just two points on 0-for-6 shooting from the field. Pool entered the game averaging 19.7 points and scored 41 in a 89-79 victory at Air Force. His only points came on a pair of free throws with 3:46 remaining.
Elleby, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward from Seattle, also made his mark on the defensive end with a career-high seven steals.
The Cougars forced 20 turnovers while committing just seven and held a 21-2 edge in points off turnovers. WSU also had a 46-32 advantage in points in the paint and 16-3 in fast-break points.
The Cougars scored nine of the game's first 11 points and never trailed. WSU led by as many as 13 points in the first half before the Bengals rallied to within 37-32 at the intermission.
Stutzman kept Idaho State in the game in the first half, scoring 11 points while making 3 of 4 3-point attempts.
The Cougars scored the first six points of the second half and Idaho State never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
Washington guard Jaylen Shead rolled his right ankle with 4:48 remaining and didn't return.
--Field Level Media
Idaho State | Washington St. | |
Jared Stutzman 21 | Scoring | CJ Elleby 23 |
Coreyoun Rushin 3 | Assists | Isaac Bonton 4 |
Malik Porter 8 | Rebounds | CJ Elleby 8 |
Chier Maker 4 | Free Throws Made | Isaac Bonton 4 |
Coreyoun Rushin 2 | Steals | CJ Elleby 7 |
Malik Porter 1 | Blocks | Isaac Bonton 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Idaho State | 61 | 43.4 | 6-21 | 9-12 | 10 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 20 |
Washington St. | 72 | 43.8 | 3-17 | 13-16 | 10 | 27 | 3 | 9 | 7 |