Washington retires Wazzu in 300th matchup

On By Littum

NCAA Basketball: Washington at UCLADecember 3, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Danny Sprinkle gestures during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

DJ Davis scored a season-high 21 points to lead six Washington players in double figures as the Huskies defeated Washington State 89-73 on Wednesday night in Seattle in the 300th all-time meeting between the rivals.

Mekhi Mason scored 15 points and Tyler Harris had 14 for the Huskies (8-3). The Great Osobor added 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Zoom Diallo and Tyree Ihenacho each scored 12 as Washington improved to 189-11 against Washington State.

Nate Calmese, who spent last season at Washington before transferring to the Palouse, scored 21 points for the Cougars (9-3), who were riding a three-game winning streak. Ethan Price added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists, and LeJuan Watts had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Washington shot 50 percent from the field (31 of 62) and tied his season high with 10 3-pointers. The Huskies forced 22 turnovers while committing just seven, leading to a 24-4 advantage in point off miscues. The Cougars shot 43.1 percent (25 of 58) and were just 6 of 20 from long range.

The Huskies took a 35-31 halftime lead as Davis, returning to the starting lineup for the first time since the season’s opening three games, scored 11 points.

The Cougars used an early 7-0 run, capped by Isaiah Watts’ 3-pointer, to take a 12-5 lead.

Diallo made a driving layup and a 3-pointer in a 7-0 surge that pulled the Huskies within 15-14.

Davis sank a 3-pointer to tie the game and Harris followed with another trey to put the Huskies up 28-25 with 5:06 left in the half, their first lead since the game’s opening basket. Davis made another trey to cap an 11-0 run to make it 31-25, Washington’s largest lead before halftime.

The Huskies went on a 9-0 spurt early in the second half to pull away, leading by as many as 20 points.

Washington State’s Isaiah Watts, a Seattle native and grandson of former SuperSonics star Slick Watts, made a pair of highlight-reel dunks.

In the first half, Watts converted an alley-oop pass from Calmese. In the second, Watts went up and over Osobor in the lane. Watts drew a technical foul on the latter to taunt the Huskies’ big man after the play.

— Field level media