SPOKANE — Washington State had trouble with Air Force’s lockdown defense and needed a late scoring surge from Marcus Capers for a 75-68 win on Saturday.
The Falcons had pulled to within 57-55 with about seven minutes left. After Reggie Moore hit a pair of free throws for Washington State, Capers scored six-consecutive points for the Cougars, creating a 66-57 lead that Air Force could not overcome.
“We won, but nobody was really pleased,” said Capers, who finished with 12 points. “We should have got way more points than we did.”
Air Force (5-3) is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 58 points per game.
Klay Thompson led Washington State (8-2) with 19 points, 17 in the second half. Moore added 16 points, 14 in the second half.
Freshman Michael Lyons had a career-high 25 for Air Force (5-3). Grant Parker, who leads Air Force with 17 points per game, did not suit up because of a groin injury.
Freshman Todd Fletcher added a career high 13 for Air Force, which was hampered by a poor first half.
“We were very disjointed,” Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said. “But it was great to see Lyons and Todd, both true freshmen, playing so well.”
The Falcons shot only 39 percent in the first half to fall behind 31-24 at halftime. Both teams scored 44 points in the wilder second half.
“Going into the game, we said if they shot 50 percent and got rebounds, they would win,” Reynolds said. Washington State shot 51 percent and won the rebound battle 36-24.
Washington State made 19 of 25 free throws, while Air Force made 11 of 13, all in the second half.
After leading 31-24 at halftime, Washington State scored nine-straight points early in the second half — including back-to-back 3-pointers by Moore and Thompson — for a 40-26 lead.
Lyons scored seven-consecutive unanswered points as Air Force pulled within 42-35 with 13 minutes left.
The teams traded baskets until Air Force scored seven straight behind Tom Fow’s basket and 3-pointer to cut WSU’s lead to 57-55 with a little less than 7 minutes left. That set the stage for Capers.
Nik Koprivica had eight points and 11 rebounds for Washington State.
“You don’t always play great,” WSU coach Ken Bone said.
But Bone, in his first season with the Cougars, is pleased to be 8-2, with both losses coming on the road to No. 21 Gonzaga and Kansas State. “At the end of the day, we’ve taken care of business.”
The game was played in the Spokane Arena, 70 miles north of the WSU campus in Pullman, to satisfy NCAA requirements that WSU officials put on a game at least once this season in the building where the school will host a portion of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March.
The teams have played just once before, with WSU winning in 2007, also in the Spokane Arena.
The Cougars travel to Kennewick, Wash., next for a non-conference game against Portland State, the team Bone left to join WSU this season. After that they travel to Seattle to play Louisiana State.
“The whole state can see us play,” Capers said.
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