Thu Jan 17 11:08:00 2008

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Cougars seek quick turnaround against Beavers

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Pullman, WA (Sports Network) - The eighth-ranked Washington State Cougars will attempt to bounce back strong from their first loss of the season as they host the Oregon State Beavers in Pac-10 Conference action.

Not much has gone right for Oregon State thus far, as the team is just 6-10 overall, including losses in all four league games to date. The Beavers are in the midst of a six-game slide, as they haven't tasted victory since December 19th. On Saturday, they fell to California by a 69-59 final in front of a disappointed home crowd.

Washington State won its first 14 games before finally falling to UCLA in an 81-74 final on Saturday. The Cougars played a rather soft non-conference schedule, but a road win over Gonzaga will help when NCAA Tournament selection time rolls around.

Oregon State owns a 160-114 series lead over Washington State, but the Cougars won both meetings with the Beavers last season.

Seth Tarver is the only Oregon State player to start all 16 games, and he is leading the team with 12.9 ppg. Marcel Jones is the only other double-digit scorer on the roster, as he checks in with 11.9 ppg and a team-high 6.9 rpg. Oregon State struggled mightily at the offensive end against Cal last time out, as the Beavers connected on only 32.9 percent of their field goal attempts, including a 4-of-22 effort from three-point range. Even free throw shooting proved to be difficult, as the squad finished 5-of-10 from the charity stripe. Jones scored 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the field, and Tarver pitched in 11 points.

Washington State is known for its outstanding play at the defensive end of the court, and this year's club is limiting its opponents to 52.5 ppg on 39.4 percent efficiency from the field. At the offensive end, the Cougars are posting 69.2 ppg on 50 percent shooting from the floor. Derrick Low is netting 13.5 ppg on the strength of his 42.7 percent shooting from three-point range, and Aron Baynes checks in with 11.8 ppg and 6.7 rpg. The third and final double-digit scorer is Kyle Weaver with 11.2 ppg. In the seven-point road loss to UCLA, Washington State put forth an uncharacteristically poor defensive effort, permitting the Bruins to shoot 57.7 percent from the field. The Cougars were also outrebounded by a 33-18 margin and outscored 17-9 from the foul line. Low nailed 6-of-9 three-pointers and finished with 24 points in defeat.