Cougar Hardwood Classic November 23, 2010

WSU vs. Portland

Washington State’s undefeated record in Cougar Hardwood Classic games will be on the line this fall as they take on the Pilots from the University of Portland. Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 10 am.

This season will mark the first time the annual Seattle contest will take place in November, with the game to be held Tuesday, November 23, 2010 during the week of Thanksgiving. The popular event will give WSU’s large Seattle alumni base a reason to be thankful.

The meeting will be the twelfth overall between the two teams from the Northwest. WSU holds a 9-2 all-time series advantage over Portland, with the Cougars winning 62-50 in their last meeting in 2006. The series dates back as far as 1938.

Washington State is 5-0 all time in Cougar Harwood Classics games. Last season WSU defeated LSU 72-70 in overtime in front of a record crowd of 15,341. The game broke the record for largest crowd WSU men’s basketball has ever played in front of in the State of Washington.

The victory over LSU was a major step as Ken Bone laid the framework to establish success during his first year in Pullman. Bone opened up the offense allowing for more possessions and creating the potential for higher scoring.

Klay Thompson was one of the many Cougar players who benefited from this new fast-paced approach. Thompson averaged 19.6 points per game in route to being named to the All-Pacific -10 Conference First Team. The Wooden Award candidate led the Cougars to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship by scoring a tournament single-game record 43 points.

The two-time Pacific -10 Player of the Week became the third-fastest Cougar to 1,000 career points, reaching the plateau in just his 63rd game.

The Cougar defense will have their hands full as Portland features a plethora of offensive firepower.

Known for their outside shooting, the 09-10 Pilots finished fifth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage shooting an outstanding 40.7%.

Head coach Eric Reveno and company matched a Division 1 school record with 21 victories including wins over Minnesota, Oregon and UCLA. Portland made it to the postseason for the second straight season losing in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Led by former Washington high school stars Jared Stohl and Luke Sikma, the 10-11 Pilots will feature an impressive inside outside combination.

Stohl, a sharp shooting 6-foot-1 guard from Marysville, WA, led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting a remarkable 47.8% from beyond the arch. The All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention averaged 11.5 points per game.

A native of Bellevue, Sikma, averaged 7.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-8 senior is no stranger to the Emerald City as his father Jack played 14 seasons in the NBA, nine of which were played for the Seattle SuperSonics. The younger Sikma led the West Coast Conference in field goal percentage (.563) last season and was named as an Honorable Mention.

WSU has scored victories over Montana State, The Citadel, San Diego State and Utah in the other four Cougar Hardwood Classic games.
Ticket Information

Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 10 am. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1.800.745.3000. Ticket fees apply.
Showings
Cougar Hardwood Classic
Nov 23, 2010 - 7:30PM (Doors Open One (1) hour prior to tip off)

Official Website: http://www.keyarena.com/default.asp?keyarena=18&objId=541