By Andy Buhler, The Associated Press
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Charles Callison scored a career-high 30 points and had five steals, pacing Washington State past Colorado 91-89 in overtime on Saturday, as the Cougars put a four-game losing streak to rest and kept the Buffaloes winless in conference play.
Ike Iroegbu hit a contested layup to give Washington State a two-point lead with 10.5 seconds left in overtime after Derrick White’s jumper put Colorado up two with 1:52 left.
Josh Hawkinson finished a hook-shot to put the Cougars up four with 35 seconds to go in regulation. Xavier Johnson tipped in a George King miss, then White hit two free throws to tie the game at 83 with 7.2 seconds left. Callison missed a long 3 at the regulation buzzer.
Iroegbu finished with 20 points and eight boards. Hawkinson had 18 and 6.
White paced Colorado with 25 points, six assists and five rebounds. He also supplied the game-tying free throws in regulation and a key bucket in overtime.
WSU led for most of the first half, which opposes its last game, a 41-point home loss to Utah, where the Cougars fell out of contention early.
Callison was active on both ends from the get-go. He started 3 of 4 from the field, which included a progression where he hit long step-back jumper, stole a pass at the other end, then hit a 3-pointer moments later to put the Cougars up 23-20.
Consecutive 3s from Viont’e Daniels and Malachi Flynn gave WSU a seven-point advantage late in the first and entered halftime up four.
The teams traded baskets throughout the second. The Cougars’ shooting helped them maintain the lead.
Colorado did not regain the lead until overtime.
BOXSCORE:
BIG PICTURE
Colorado: Colorado couldn’t nab its first Pac-12 win at Washington State and is winless through its first seven conference games. Three of its losses came by a margin of three or less points, most recently with an 85-83 overtime loss at Washington Thursday.
Washington State: The Cougars found their shooting stroke early and often. They shot 53.8 percent from the field, a cut above the season average (44.4 percent). WSU has been down on a winless streak of its own recently, but Saturday’s win breathed some life into the Cougars’ season.
UP NEXT
Colorado: The Buffaloes return home with a chance to pick up momentum as they host Oregon State on Thursday and No. 11 Oregon on Saturday.
Washington State: The Cougars head down to the desert for key road tests at No. 14 Arizona — which recently lifted the suspension off standout guard Alonzo Trier — on Thursday and Arizona State on Jan. 28.