Pullman, WA – Davidson took the lead in Pullman early and never looked back, handing Washington State a loss by 74-61. Sam Brown helped set the tone for the Wildcats by scoring or assisting on all but two of the team’s first 11 points. Davidson, after a 30 second timeout with 10:46 left, punished WSU from beyond the arc, going 5-of-9 from distance to finish the half. On the other end, it was Jamari Phillips and Jaylen Harrellwho combined for half of the teams 22 points to end the first half.
The Wildcats started the second half where they left off, going 5-for-6 in first five minutes led by Nick Janowski, forcing a Cougars timeout. Out of the timeout, Harrell and Sebastian Akinswere able to get going and provide some life to the struggling Cougars and bring the game to within nine points. However, that was the last time the Wildcats’ lead was in single digits. Davidson was firing on all cylinders and shot 12-for-15 from the field in the final 10 minutes. Although Washington State won the offensive rebound battle 15-7, but they could not get shots to fall, shooting just 35% from the field and 20% from three. Davidson could do no wrong, assisting on 18 of their 29 made shots while shooting 54% from the floor and 52% from three.
Ian Platteeuw, the 7-footer from Spain, starting his second season with Davidson and picked the Cougars defense apart from the top of the key. To go along with his eight assists, he scored 10 efficient points on 4-for- 5 shooting and making his only three-point attempt of the game. On the glass, he had nine rebounds, falling just short of recording his first collegiate triple-double. Josh Scovens, the Wildcats leading inside presence from the year prior,did not impact the game much offensively until late in the game because of WSU’s game plan. However, halfway through the second half, he showed his strength and solid hands underneath the basket, catching passes over the top using his positioning to finish at the rim.
From the point guard spot, Sam Brown punished the defense in multiple ways from three, showing he has confidence in catch and shoot and off the dribble situations, and that he will make teams pay for leaving him open going 6-for-10 from range. Out of the off-guard spot, Nick Janowski showed skill at all three levels. He connected on 8 of his 10 shots, and his two misses came from contested off the dribble three-pointers. His drives from the wing stood out, he was able to initiate contact and create separation for a confident fall away mid-range attempt.
WSU played without Ronnie Harrison which opened up opportunities for Jamari Phillips and Jaylen Harrell on the wing. The latter was much more efficient from the field, shooting 5-for-8, but combined they went 3-for-12 from behind the arc. Despite the rough shooting day for Phillips he was able to get good looks. Harrell was about the only bright spot in the game for the Cougars and showed he has the ability to drive and finish strong at the rim. He also played good defense, finishing with two steals.
This article was written by Landon Brewer of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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