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Coming off their most impressive victory of the season, the Washington State Cougars (4-0) face their most challenging opponent yet when they take on the No. 21 Saint Mary's Gaels (5-0) in the semifinals of of the Wooden Legacy tournament.
Tip off is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT. You can watch the game on ESPNews or online via WatchESPN.
The Cougs came back from yet another big deficit to beat Saint Joseph's in their opener in the tournament. Three-point shooting fueled the comeback, as WSU made nearly 50 percent of its 33 threes, and it will be fascinating to see how committed WSU is to that part of its attack today: The Gaels specialize in limiting opponents' three-point opportunities — only 23 teams in the country allow a lower ratio of threes to overall field goal attempts — and they close out very well, as opponents shoot just 25 percent from behind the arc against Saint Mary's.
Will WSU continue to chuck threes if they find little room to shoot them? Or will they choose to diversify their attack?
Meanwhile, Saint Mary's represents the best offense the Cougs have faced — at least, if you believe kenpom.com, which ranks the Gaels as the No. 3 offense in the country in adjusted efficiency. They shoot great from everywhere and rarely turn the ball over.
Kenpom.com gives WSU just a one-in-10 chance to win, but hey: Yesterday was a one-in-six chance, so you never know! I'm very curious to see how they do.