Washington State had not won a second game in the NCAA Tournament since 1941, but these aren’t your great-grandfather’s Cougars.
Playing with swagger and a swarming defense, fourth-seeded Washington State sent the beast of the Big East, Notre Dame, packing with a 61-41 laugher Saturday in an NCAA Tournament second-round game at the Pepsi Center.
Washington State (26-8) advanced to the East Regional Sweet 16 by limiting the fifth-seeded Irish to their lowest point total of the season, another signature win in a remarkable turnaround. The Cougars, at the bottom of the Pac-10 Conference just two seasons ago, will play the North Carolina-Arkansas winner Thursday in the Sweet 16.
“This was a big step for our program,” WSU coach Tony Bennett said. “We did what we needed to do. We got the game to be (the pace) it had to be, and that began with our transition defense.”
Notre Dame likes to run. The Irish entered the tournament averaging 80.2 points per game, but Washington State controlled tempo throughout with its deliberate attack.
Frustrated and perhaps a bit leg-weary from chasing Washington State for 25 to 30 seconds on offense, Notre Dame shot a frigid 24.5 percent from the field.
“Washington State imposed their will on us,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.
The Irish (25-8) had not scored fewer than 64 points all season, that coming in a Nov. 18 loss to Baylor. But Washington State harnessed Big East player of the year Luke Harangody, a 6-foot-8, 251-pound sophomore who has been almost unstoppable at times. He managed just 10 points, half his season’s average, on 3-for-17 shooting.
“There’s no secret,” Cougars senior guard Kyle Weaver said. “We just try to keep teams out of the paint and make them take tough shots.”
Washington State clogged passing lanes and double-teamed shooters at every spot on the court. Notre Dame led the country in assists but managed just seven.
“It was hard for us to get in transition,” Notre Dame guard Kyle McAlarney said. “Their guards are very good. We can learn a lot from the patience and demeanor they have out there.”
Harangody grabbed 22 rebounds but continually was pushed away from the basket at the offensive end.
“I kind of feel like I let the team down,” Harangody said.
Said WSU forward Robbie Cowgill: “Defense is going to have to be our bread and butter if we’re to go far in this tournament.”
Washington State, getting 18 points from guard Derrick Low and 15 from Weaver, took control early with a 12-0 run and led 32-19 at halftime. Notre Dame pulled to within 38-31 early in the second half, but WSU then pulled away, led by Low, who bagged a jumper from the right side and then drove for a layup to spark a 14-4 run.
Washington State’s three-headed backcourt of seniors Low, Weaver and junior Taylor Rochestie penetrated Notre Dame’s defense off the dribble with ease. When Harangody blocked their path, they fed open jump shooters.
Everything seemed to click.
“It seems like a dream, beating Notre Dame by 20 points,” Weaver said.
Harangody was sandwiched each time he caught the ball down low, usually with Cowgill, 6-10, helping out 6-10 center Aron Baynes or 6-8 backup Caleb Forrest, the former Pagosa Springs High School athlete who scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in 15 minutes. “Caleb gave us a great lift early,” Bennett said.
Notre Dame failed its bid to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. WSU had previously advanced past the first game just once in its history, 1941, when the Cougars lost to Wisconsin for the national championship.
“This is new territory for us, to go to the Sweet 16,” Low said. “But this is what we’ve been preparing for.”
“We put in the blood, the sweat and the tears,” Weaver added. “It’s starting to pay off.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
