Lazerek Houston’s 31 points not enough in WSU’s 83-71 loss at High Point

Lazerek Houston broke out in just his second game in the crimson and gray, scoring 31 points and splashing five three-pointers, but the High Point Panthers separated in the second half to beat the Washington State cougars 83-71.

WSU (0-2) battled High Point (3-0) tough throughout the game. They trailed by just one heading into the half in a game that saw eight ties and 19 lead changes. The Cougs even led the Panthers with 12:36 to go in the game. However, the Panthers would end the game by outscoring the Cougars 35-21.

High Point was one of the best teams in college basketball last year at scoring inside the arc. They finished in the top 30 in two-point field goal percentages, which was a big reason for their run to March Madness and upset win over Wisconsin. Flynn Clayman’s Panthers again are excellent inside, and tonight was no different. WSU had no answer for the Panthers’ interior attack as they racked up 36 of their 83 points in the paint. WSU’s 16 turnovers didn’t help things, but they were able to limit the damage from those mistakes to just 14 points off turnovers.

It’s not a bad loss by any means for WSU. They battled a team that expects to again be in the dance and run away with the Big South conference. The offense played much better than their first go-around against Davidson earlier in the week. The Cougars finished hitting 45.3% of their shots from the floor and cashed 46.2% of their three-pointers. They even finished with 1.12 points per possession. Ultimately, it was their inability to stop the Panther offense inside that doomed them.

The Cougars will finish their quick non-conference roadtrip on Tuesday when they travel up to Pittsburgh to play the Duquesne Dukes.