Washington State survives maddening 2nd half to beat Drake 66-61 in March Madness
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Style points mean nothing this time of year, so a grinding win was absolutely beautiful as far as Washington State coach Kyle Smith was concerned.
Isaac Jones had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Isaiah Watts’ first 3-pointer in three games gave Washington State the lead with 1:51 left and the seventh-seeded Cougars beat No. 10 Drake 66-61 in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.
The Cougars (25-9) shot just 29.6% while trailing most of the second half, but Drake’s season-worst 6-of-14 performance at the free-throw line allowed them to win in their first tournament appearance since 2008.
“As teams scout you and everyone has film on you, they try to make it ugly against us a little bit,” Smith said. “Just a big win. It’s ugly ball. Get on the glass and don’t turn it over.”
WSU will play Saturday in the East Region second round against No. 2 Iowa State (28-7), which beat South Dakota State 82-65.
Drake (28-7) had its largest lead at 54-46 when WSU started its comeback.
Tucker DeVries had a shot swirl in and out, and Andrej Jakimovski made a 3 from the wing to get the Cougars within 54-51. Drake’s Darnell Brodie had the ball slip out of his hands as he was making a move to the basket, and Jones snaked in for a layup on the other end to make it 54-53.
Brodie, who controlled much of the second half for Drake offensively, fouled out with 2:26 left before Watts connected for the lead.
“That's who Isaiah is,” WSU's Myles Rice said. “He has a lot of guts to take shots like that. I have full faith in him. He brings energy for us and that’s not the first time he’s hit a shot like that. I’m just glad he hit it on the biggest stage.”
The Cougars made 5 of 6 free throws to hold off the Bulldogs.
“Felt we had a chance there and got a little cushion late in the game and just weren't able to close it out,” Drake coach Darian DeVries said. “It's always tough to end your season. Today was a tough one. I thought our guys played extremely hard and left it all out there and unfortunately came up a little short.”
Atin Wright had 20 points and Tucker DeVries, the two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, added 14 for the Bulldogs.
Jaylen Wells had 17 points for Washington State, which improved to 21-0 when leading at halftime.
The teams’ only previous meeting was in 1935, a 28-27 Washington State victory at home.
Rice, the Pac-12 freshman of the year, finally ended his 3-point shooting frustrations early in the game. He had missed 25 in a row over nine games before he swished one in the first half.
“Feels good to see one go in,” Rice said.
UP NEXT
Iowa State and Washington State will square off for the first time. The Cyclones will try to return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since their surprise run as a No. 11 seed in 2022. Washington State went to the Sweet 16 in its previous appearance.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Darnell Brodie vs. Oscar Cluff (Myles Rice gains possession) | |||
19:38 | Andrej Jakimovski misses three point jump shot | |||
19:36 | Kevin Overton defensive rebound | |||
19:27 | Darnell Brodie misses two point jump shot | |||
19:25 | Andrej Jakimovski defensive rebound | |||
18:57 | Myles Rice misses three point jump shot | |||
18:55 | Oscar Cluff offensive rebound | |||
18:54 | Cougars turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
18:38 | Tucker DeVries misses three point jump shot | |||
18:36 | Cougars defensive rebound | |||
18:11 | Darnell Brodie blocks Andrej Jakimovski's two point layup | |||
18:09 | Darnell Brodie defensive rebound | |||
18:02 | Darnell Brodie misses two point jump shot | |||
18:00 | Isaac Jones defensive rebound | |||
17:44 | Jaylen Wells misses two point jump shot | |||
17:42 | Jaylen Wells offensive rebound | |||
17:39 | +3 | Myles Rice makes three point jump shot (Jaylen Wells assists) | 0-3 | |
17:20 | Kevin Overton misses three point jump shot | |||
17:18 | Atin Wright offensive rebound | |||
17:10 | +3 | Atin Wright makes three point jump shot (Tucker DeVries assists) | 3-3 | |
16:51 | +2 | Myles Rice makes two point jump shot (Jaylen Wells assists) | 3-5 | |
16:28 | +2 | Tucker DeVries makes two point layup (Darnell Brodie assists) | 5-5 | |
16:06 | +2 | Oscar Cluff makes two point dunk (Isaac Jones assists) | 5-7 | |
15:38 | Darnell Brodie misses two point jump shot | |||
15:36 | Jaylen Wells defensive rebound | |||
15:29 | Darnell Brodie blocks Oscar Cluff's two point layup | |||
15:27 | Darnell Brodie defensive rebound | |||
15:25 | Darnell Brodie turnover (bad pass) | |||
15:25 | TV timeout | |||
15:14 | +2 | Rueben Chinyelu makes two point jump shot (Isaac Jones assists) | 5-9 | |
14:42 | +2 | Tucker DeVries makes two point jump shot | 7-9 | |
14:20 | Rueben Chinyelu misses two point jump shot | |||
14:18 | Atin Wright defensive rebound | |||
13:56 | Kevin Overton misses two point layup | |||
13:54 | Rueben Chinyelu defensive rebound | |||
13:49 | +2 | Isaac Jones makes two point alley-oop dunk (Myles Rice assists) | 7-11 | |
13:32 | +2 | Atin Wright makes two point jump shot | 9-11 | |
13:03 | +2 | Jaylen Wells makes two point jump shot | 9-13 | |
12:49 | Conor Enright misses three point jump shot | |||
12:47 | Isaac Jones defensive rebound | |||
12:40 | +2 | Myles Rice makes two point dunk | 9-15 | |
12:26 | +3 | Kevin Overton makes three point jump shot (Conor Enright assists) | 12-15 | |
12:12 | Myles Rice offensive foul | |||
12:12 | Myles Rice turnover (offensive foul) | |||
11:48 | Oscar Cluff personal foul | |||
11:48 | TV timeout | |||
11:47 | Atin Wright turnover (out of bounds) | |||
11:25 | Atin Wright personal foul | |||
11:13 | Andrej Jakimovski misses three point jump shot | |||
11:11 | Kyron Gibson defensive rebound | |||
11:04 | +2 | Colby Garland makes two point jump shot (Kyron Gibson assists) | 14-15 | |
10:48 | Kymany Houinsou misses two point layup | |||
10:46 | Darnell Brodie defensive rebound | |||
10:19 | +2 | Atin Wright makes two point jump shot | 16-15 | |
9:51 | Myles Rice misses two point layup | |||
9:49 | Oscar Cluff offensive rebound | |||
9:47 | Oscar Cluff misses two point layup | |||
9:45 | Colby Garland defensive rebound | |||
9:40 | +3 | Tucker DeVries makes three point jump shot (Colby Garland assists) | 19-15 | |
9:39 | Cougars 30 second timeout | |||
9:21 | Isaac Jones turnover (lost ball) (Colby Garland steals) | |||
9:02 | +2 | Darnell Brodie makes two point layup (Tucker DeVries assists) | 21-15 | |
8:44 | +3 | Andrej Jakimovski makes three point jump shot (Oscar Cluff assists) | 21-18 | |
8:23 | Tucker DeVries misses three point jump shot | |||
8:21 | Andrej Jakimovski defensive rebound | |||
8:15 | Darnell Brodie personal foul | |||
8:13 | Kevin Overton shooting foul (Isaac Jones draws the foul) | |||
8:13 | +1 | Isaac Jones makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-19 | |
8:13 | Isaac Jones misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
8:13 | Nate Ferguson defensive rebound | |||
8:00 | Colby Garland misses two point jump shot | |||
7:58 | Nate Ferguson offensive rebound | |||
7:55 | Rueben Chinyelu blocks Carlos Rosario's two point layup | |||
7:53 | Bulldogs offensive rebound | |||
7:53 | TV timeout | |||
7:40 | Jaylen Wells shooting foul (Nate Ferguson draws the foul) | |||
7:40 | Nate Ferguson misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
7:40 | Nate Ferguson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
7:40 | Rueben Chinyelu defensive rebound | |||
7:20 | Isaac Jones turnover (bad pass) (Nate Ferguson steals) | |||
7:15 | Kevin Overton misses two point layup | |||
7:13 | Isaac Jones defensive rebound | |||
7:05 | +2 | Isaiah Watts makes two point jump shot | 21-21 | |
6:55 | Tucker DeVries misses two point jump shot | |||
6:53 | Jaylen Wells defensive rebound | |||
6:45 | Isaiah Watts misses three point jump shot | |||
6:43 | Bulldogs defensive rebound | |||
6:29 | Darnell Brodie turnover (bad pass) (Isaiah Watts steals) | |||
6:20 | +3 | Jaylen Wells makes three point jump shot (Isaiah Watts assists) | 21-24 | |
6:19 | Bulldogs 30 second timeout | |||
6:03 | Darnell Brodie misses two point layup | |||
6:01 | Jaylen Wells defensive rebound | |||
5:39 | Andrej Jakimovski misses three point jump shot | |||
5:37 | Kyron Gibson defensive rebound | |||
5:27 | +2 | Atin Wright makes two point jump shot (Conor Enright assists) | 23-24 | |
5:02 | Darnell Brodie personal foul | |||
4:52 | Myles Rice misses three point jump shot | |||
4:50 | Conor Enright defensive rebound | |||
4:32 | Atin Wright misses three point jump shot | |||
4:30 | Andrej Jakimovski defensive rebound | |||
4:14 | +2 | Isaac Jones makes two point jump shot | 23-26 | |
3:53 | Tucker DeVries misses two point jump shot | |||
3:51 | Andrej Jakimovski defensive rebound | |||
3:34 | Nate Ferguson shooting foul (Isaac Jones draws the foul) | |||
3:34 | TV timeout | |||
3:34 | +1 | Isaac Jones makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 23-27 | |
3:34 | +1 | Isaac Jones makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 23-28 | |
3:16 | +2 | Conor Enright makes two point layup (Atin Wright assists) | 25-28 | |
2:59 | Isaac Jones misses two point jump shot | |||
2:57 | Nate Ferguson defensive rebound | |||
2:45 | +2 | Nate Ferguson makes two point layup (Tucker DeVries assists) | 27-28 | |
2:18 | Myles Rice misses two point jump shot | |||
2:16 | Tucker DeVries personal foul | |||
2:08 | +3 | Jaylen Wells makes three point jump shot (Isaac Jones assists) | 27-31 | |
1:49 | Tucker DeVries misses two point jump shot | |||
1:47 | Isaac Jones defensive rebound | |||
1:30 | Myles Rice turnover (bad pass) (Conor Enright steals) | |||
1:23 | Atin Wright turnover (lost ball) (Isaiah Watts steals) | |||
1:19 | Conor Enright shooting foul (Andrej Jakimovski draws the foul) | |||
1:19 | Andrej Jakimovski misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
1:19 | Andrej Jakimovski misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
1:19 | Tucker DeVries defensive rebound | |||
1:01 | Atin Wright misses two point layup | |||
0:59 | Isaac Jones defensive rebound | |||
0:52 | Cougars turnover (5-second violation) | |||
0:46 | Isaac Jones blocks Tucker DeVries's two point layup | |||
0:44 | Jaylen Wells defensive rebound | |||
0:38 | Kymany Houinsou turnover (lost ball) (Colby Garland steals) | |||
0:34 | +2 | Tucker DeVries makes two point layup (Colby Garland assists) | 29-31 | |
0:06 | +2 | Isaac Jones makes two point jump shot | 29-33 | |
0:00 | End of period |