Struggling Washington State (17-4, 5-4 Pac-10) gets a chance at revenge Thursday night and to right its season when it hosts the cream of the crop in the Pac-10 in No. 5 UCLA (20-2, 8-1).
The No. 17 Cougars have lost three of four games and the numbers definitely don't favor them Thursday: The Bruins have beaten Washington State seven consecutive times; UCLA has won 14 in a row at Friel Court; the Bruins lead the all-time series 92-13; and the Cougars' only victory in 70 games against top-five teams came in 1980 against No. 4 Oregon State.
In the season's first meeting, UCLA had a comfortable lead throughout before a barrage of WSU threes in the final moments made it close - the final was 81-74.
"I would be shocked if that were replicated," said UCLA coach Ben Howland, referring to UCLA's dominance most of that game. "We just don't want it to be replicated on us."
That loss knocked the 14-0 Cougars from the unbeaten ranks and started a streak in which they lost four of seven games; they were 0-2 last week, losing at home to California, 69-64, and Stanford, 67-65 in overtime.
This time, the Bruins will be without forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds), out with a sprained left ankle. (NCAA Basketball Injury Report)"He guards the best basketball players in this league, night on and out," Howland said. "Losing him we lose a key guy at both ends of the floor."
Meanwhile, Wazzu star guard Derrick Low has shot a combined 1-for-15 on 3-pointers in the past two Thursday night games, and center Aron Baynes has averaged only 19 minutes the past three games, mostly because of foul trouble. The Cougars lack depth, with their top six players averaging more than 24.9 minutes per game in league play, and no one else playing much.
"For teams like UCLA and USC (Wazzu's next opponent), you've got to get right mentally and physically," WSU coach Tony Bennett said. "It hurts to drop a couple at home, but we've got to bounce back."
UCLA freshman Kevin Love had 27 points and 14 rebounds in the first game, so Baynes will have his hands full trying to stay out of foul trouble.
Love leads UCLA with 17.8 points and 11.2 points per game. Love has registered six of his 13 double-doubles in the past six games; WSU's entire team has three all season.
"He can take you to the line ... bunch of moves ... he can stretch you out to the perimeter ... he's really a match-up nightmare," Cougars forward Daven Harmeling said.
Washington State is in danger of its first three-game home-court losing streak since 2003-04. After allowing an average of 52 points per game through the first 15 games of the season, the Cougars are now giving up more than 62 points in Pac-10 games, while scoring 65.
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