Shockwaves

Final: WSU 76, G-W 64.

27.2 seconds: WSU 72, G-W 64. WSU ball after a timeout. G-W’s Linn just made three free throws after Hawkins fouled him. WSU is 12 of 15 from the line.

58.5 seconds remaining: WSU 70, G-W 61. G-W ball after a timeout.

3:59 remaining: WSU 67, G-W 57. Hannah has not played his usual minutes because of foul trouble. He got the crowd roaring with a great effort play. He picked the pocket of a dribbler, then dove for the ball. From the floor, he passed to Stutz for a breakaway dunk and a 64-55 lead. Hannah’s three gave WSU a 10-point lead, which seems to be the barrier it can’t break. WSU needs a few stops to give itself more of a cushion.

4:39 remaining: WSU 64, G-W 57. Shockers shooting 38.3 percent as the missed layups pile up. G-W allowed its previous seven opponents to shoot 44.6 percent from the field. Murry leads WSU with 19.

7:26 remaining: WSU 62, G-W 54. G-W’s Auryn MacMillan, a junior from Australia, is picking on Stutz. He has scored most of his 16 points, it seems, by getting good position on Stutz and scoring over him. WSU is 0 for 3 on lob attempts. It is a good strategy against the zone, but poorly executed.

11:52 remaining: WSU 58, G-W 45. WSU got some things going on offense after G-W cut the led to 49-43. Durley, who has nine points, did most of the damage. He is looking more focused and aggressive than in recent games. G-W won’t win this game because they can’t put together enough stops. But they shoot it well enough to make WSU nervous. WSU is 9-9 from the line. The Shockers are not making layups and short shots in the lane. That is one kind of a problem against Georgetown or Michigan State. It is more worrisome against G-W.

15:22 remaining second half: WSU 49, G-W 39. Shockers can’t pull away. Foul trouble is a bit of an issue. Hannah, Hawkins and Clemente all have three.
Sorry, I’m in limited or no connectivity hell at courtside so blogging is out. It is halftime and WSU leads 41-32. Good offensive half for the most part for WSU, which is what everybody wanted to see. It is an up-and-down game, so coach Gregg Marshall is probably not satisfied with the defense. The Bulldogs are keeping in the game with a few breakaways and threes. Of course, they hit a buzzer-beater.

The Shockers are 7 of 15 from three. Inside, they get shots but aren’t making them. They have missed several shots in the lane and are shooting 42.4 percent overall. They are 8 of 20 inside the arc.

Toure Murry leads WSU with 13 and is playing a lot of point guard. Mantas Griskenas, getting loose by riding a bike in the tunnel, played eight minutes. A.J. Hawkins has eight points. J.T. Durley has five rebounds and looks more energetic than he has in recent games.