Cougars edge Stanford in shootout

Good morning from greater Phoenix, or what appears to be Seattle South, given both the amount of Seahawks fans and the rainy weather. Our WSU Cougars pulled off yet another surprising win Saturday night in thrilling fashion, outscoring Stanford 89-88, with both teams putting up 47 points in the second half. The Cougs entered the game as nine point underdogs, while Stanford had garnered some Top 25 attention recently.

When Stanford got out to a 14-point first half lead, it was looking like another long night for WSU, in front of an increasingly sparse home crowd. However, the home team went on a 10-0 run and tightened up the game at halftime, setting up a second half laden with points and fouls. As DaVonte Lacy and Chasson Randle engaged in a battle of team Alpha dogs, the rest of the Cougars stepped up did their part, with four other players scoring in double figures.

The same couldn't be said for Stanford, who got one field goal over nearly 17 second half minutes from a player not named Chasson Randle. That turned out to be the difference. Ernie Kent made special mention of freshman Ny Redding, who began the game on the bench, as Kent tried to shake things up following the recent losing streak. Redding responded by making two crucial free throws to ice the game following a stretch in which Stanford scored five points on one trip. Que Johnson also flashed some of his limitless potential when he started for Redding, scoring 12 points in the first half.

All in all, it was another great team win for WSU, who has already won more conference games than they did all of last season. It's pretty clear that this team doesn't plan on playing a lick of defense, but hey, as long as we can keep dialing up 25-point nights from Lacy and meaningful contributions from the supporting cast, this team will squeeze out a few more wins before this season is out, which isn't bad considering what most of us thought we'd see this season. Go Cougs. Enjoy the Super Bowl.

Basketball

Washington State edges Stanford - Spokesman.com - Jan. 31, 2015
“At a certain point I did say to myself, ‘Hey, he’s making big plays. He’s one of the best in the conference. If you think of yourself as one of the best in the conference you’ve got to do the same thing,’” Lacy said.

Stanford men fall at Washington State - San Jose Mercury News
"I didn't think we played as well as we're capable. I give Washington State a lot of credit, they played with desperation, they played well together pretty much the entire game," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said.

Lacy Paces Cougars Over Cardinal, 89-88 - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
''Ny Redding showed tremendous character,'' coach Ernie Kent said. ''He came off the bench with energy. He handled the situation well. 'Typically someone would have pouted in that situation,'' Kent said.

Cougars Drop Pac-12 Road Contest To No. 12 Stanford - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State dropped a 75-56 Pac-12 Conference road contest to No. 12 Stanford University at Maples Pavilion Saturday.

Baseball

Mark Hendrickson Inks Minor League Deal - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Mark Hendrickson is living proof of why I wanted my kids to be left-handed.

Beer

How To Be A Beer Enthusiast Without Being A Beer A**hole
Lots of good tips, along with some salty language contained within.

Non-Sports

Motley Crue Is Calling it Quits
No one will say whose idea the suicide pact was. Nikki Sixx says he can't remember. Tommy Lee can't remember. Mick Mars can't remember. And Vince Neil definitely can't remember.