The Washington State Cougars’ season came to a close on Tuesday at the hands of Wichita State in the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden. The Cougars were never in this one after falling behind early, losing Klay Thompson to foul trouble and never being able to mount any sort of comeback. When the carnage was over, the Cougs slinked away with a 75-44 loss to end their NIT run.
Washington State never even got out of the gate, scoring just four points in the first 11 minutes. Shots weren’t falling, Thompson picked up three fouls in the first 10 minutes and the Cougars rolled over and played dead. Washington State scored just 19 points in the first, followed up by just 25 points in the second as Wichita State completely dominated every facet of the game.
DeAngelo Casto and Reggie Moore each scored a team-high nine points to lead the way for Washington State. Klay Thompson finished with just six points on 1-10 shooting, including 0-5 from beyond the arc.
Garrett Stutz scored a team-high 24 points and outscored the Cougars by himself at the half. Toure’ Murry and Gabe Blair were also in double-figures, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively. Stutz was a monster on the glass, as well, grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds.
Washington State’s season ends at 22-13 while Wichita State moves on to the NIT Championship to face either Alabama or Colorado. For more on the Cougars, head over to SB Nation’s CougCenter. To get caught up on the rest of the tournament, check out our 2011 NIT StoryStream.
NIT Final Four
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 1 Colorado Buffaloes
No. 4 Wichita State Shockers def. No. 2 Washington State Cougars, 75-44