Pullman, Wash. • Rollie Worster scored 19 points, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, Utah held Washington State to one point over a key stretch of the second half, and the Utes defeated the Cougars 67-65 in overtime on Sunday.
A dunk by TJ Bamba gave WSU a 58-52 lead with 2:56 remaining in regulation. The Cougars had trouble closing it out, getting only one free throw from Justin Powell for a 59-56 lead with 14 seconds remaining. With six seconds left, Utah’s Marco Anthony scored in the paint, drew a foul and converted the free throw to send the game to overtime.
Washington State did not score again until Powell’s 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining in overtime. His 3 drew the Cougars within 65-62 and they tied it at 65 when DJ Rodman made three free throws with 30 seconds left. Worster made two free throws for a 67-65 lead with 25 seconds left then WSU missed a couple of chances at the rim as time ran out.
Anthony had 13 points, Madsen 11, and Lazar Stefanovic 10 for the Utes (7-2, 2-0 Pac-12).
Mouhamed Gueye had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Washington State. Bamba scored 14 and Powell, who made just 2 of 12 3-pointers, had 11.
The Cougars (3-4, 0-2) opened the second half with a 15-6 run and took a 40-39 lead on a 3-pointer by Bamba with 11:57 remaining in regulation. It was the Cougars’ only 3 make in their first 11 attempts of the second half, unusual because Washington State is seventh in the country and first in the Pac-12 shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc. Washington State was 4 for 30 from distance.