What was expected to be Washington State’s first test of the season turned out to be another cakewalk as the Cougars raced out to a 12-point lead on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the first 7 minutes of the game and never looked back, cruising to a 73-65 victory on Monday in Pullman.
The eight-point final margin makes the game look closer than it actually was. The Cougars (3-0) stretched their first half lead all the way out to 23 points with three minutes to go before the break, and while the Gauchos (1-1) continued to fight — as befitting a team that won its conference last year and nearly won a game in the NCAA tournament — they never truly threatened, as the lead only dropped below 13 when UCSB made the final three baskets of the game over the last 1:30, including a Cole Anderson 3-pointer that was uncontested with 2 seconds remaining in the game.