A thirty piece from number 0.
Cedric Coward’s season-high, tied for a career high, 30 points on a very efficient shooting night helped the Washington State Cougars get past the Northern Colorado Bears, 83-69.
After Northern Colorado took the lead on a three-pointer with 12:13 remaining, Coward scored 16 of the WSU’s final 32 points to help WSU grow an insurmountable lead down the stretch.
Dane Erikstrup, LeJuan Watts, and Isaiah Watts also chipped in with double-digit points each, and the team as a whole shot 56% from the field.
The game opened with a game of runs determining who would hold the early lead. The Bears got out to a 7-0 run to hold a five-point lead, but the Cougars were quick to respond with an even bigger 9-0 lead that began with a Coward bucket and bookended with the first of four made threes from Isaiah Watts. While WSU was able to separate a bit to hold the lead over the final 9:38 of the first half, the Bears did just enough to prevent things from getting out of hand, never letting WSU lead by more than double digits heading into the halftime break.
While Coward was able to have moderate success against the Bear defense, scoring 10 in the first half, it wasn’t till about half way through the second half that he began his takeover. The Bears were able to chip into the deficit and eventually take the lead early into the second half with a 16-8 run in the first 7:47. The lead change awoke the Cougar offense, more specifically, Coward.
Coward found his offensive groove from every level of the floor. Mismatched with a smaller guard? Outmuscle him to the basket for a bucket.
Cedric putting the Cougs ahead from the block, just outmuscling the Bears.#GoCougs | ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Ul7G5Zm1zd
— Washington State Men’s Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) November 19, 2024
Left open for three? Too easy; cash it. Coward could simply not miss from anywhere, hitting seven of his final nine shots while also never turning the ball over all game.
The offensive efforts of Coward can’t overshadow the efforts of Dane Erikstrup on the defensive end. Erikstrup blocked a career-high five shots while still contributing 14 points offensively.
An overall sound win for the Cougars despite a great fight from the Bears through much of the game. WSU will now head north to take on the Eastern Washington Eagles in Spokane on Thursday.