WSU falls to South Dakota St 77-74 on 3 at buzzer
Dec 11, 2021, 3:04 PM
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Baylor Scheierman hit a step-back 3-pointer that dropped through the net as time expired, lifting South Dakota State to a 77-74 win over WSU on Saturday.
South Dakota State 77, WSU 74: Box score
Scheierman’s shot came on the final possession after the Cougars tied the game on a pair of TJ Bamba free throws with 23 seconds left.
BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN CALLED GAME! JACKS WIN! pic.twitter.com/mrjtRxAWAJ
— Jackrabbit Basketball (@GoJacksMBB) December 11, 2021
Michael Flowers pulled Washington State within 74-72 with a step-back shot of his own with 31.6 seconds to go and Noah Williams quickly stole the ball from Scheierman.
There were eight ties and eight lead changes in the game at the Spokane Arena, 90 miles from the WSU campus.
Noah Freidel led the Jackrabbis (9-3) with 23 points, Zeke Mayo added 17 and Scheierman 11 with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Flowers, a transfer from South Alabama, scored 24 points, his most for Washington State (7-3) and Bamba added a career-high 19.
📺| Pac-12 Washington
📱| https://t.co/EQ8xiCHE7Y pic.twitter.com/cMiaoq81HV— WSU Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarMBB) December 11, 2021
The game was full of runs in the second half, starting with Flowers scoring 10 points as the Cougars started 19-5 for a 50-44 lead after trailing 39-31 at the half. WSU made 7 of 12 shots during the run, including three 3-pointers, and the Jackrabbits were 2-of-7 shooting with four turnovers.
The Cougars promptly went 1-of-12 shooting with three turnovers as South Dakota State followed with a 20-4 run and led 64-54 with 6 1/2 minutes to play. The Jackrabbits hit five straight shots and 7 of 8.
WSU then went on a 10-2 run, setting up the frantic finish.
South Dakota State went 10 of 16 from 3-point range (52.5%) and shot 54% overall. Washington State was just 9 of 35 behind the arc (26%) and shot 37% overall. The Jackrabbits had 10 more turnovers (18-8) and the Cougars had a 15-8 rebounding advantage on the offensive end to keep the game close.
The Cougars play two more home games before meeting Boise State back in Spokane, where they are 18-18, on Dec. 22.
Wednesday: Williams leads balanced WSU attack in win over Weber State
