The 11-9, 3-5 Washington State Cougars and 6-14, 2-6 Arizona State Sun Devils try to get up from tough Thursday night losses. ASU let one slip at home against 13-7, 6-3 Washington while WSU was brutally destroyed at 14-7, 5-3 Arizona 85-61.

The Cougs made 21-of-25 free throws, but all the other statistics made you want to vomit as a Washington State fan. The Cougars turned the basketball over seven more times, had two less rebounds (two less on the offensive end), 12 less turnovers and nine less steals. A small win for WSU was they had one block to the Wildcats' none. Then again the Cougs shot 34.6 percent while yielding 50.8 percent. Washington State was outscored 45-12 behind the arc. Only one Cougar junior forward Brock Motum tallied double digits with 18 points drilling all 10 of his FTs.

The Devils led at halftime, but 1:26 into the second half found themselves down. Arizona State was outscored 12-0 after briefly going up one 25-24 with 18:56 left. The Huskies built their lead up to as many as 12, but the Sun Devils chopped it to four a few times before falling 60-54. ASU shot a little worse from the floor as both teams left a lot of points on the scoreboard at the line. The Devils have to be proud of their exterior defense holding UW to 1-of-8 on three-pointers.

Arizona State was a lot better at 7-of-23, but unlike the Huskies didn't make many shots inside the arc. Washington was 19-of-30 on two-pointers compared to the Sun Devils making 12-of-28. ASU only had five players tally points as one starter sophomore wigman Chance Creekmur went blank. Freshman forward Jonathan Gilling had 20 and junior guard Chris Colvin added 10 in yet another frustrating loss.

The Devils have lost eight of 11 home games by single digits. Two of three Arizona State wins at Wells Fargo Arena came by slim margins too as the Sun Devils recently won for the first time by double digits in Tempe. That lone win came on Jan. 14 against 13-7, 3-5 Oregon State 76-66. Only four times has ASU scored 67 or more at Wells Fargo while scoring 57 or more six times all season. The Devils have conceded 67 or more six times.

WSU's 2-5 on the road losing by 10 or more points during their last three away games. The Cougs split with the West Coast Conference to begin the season on the road before beating 11-9, 4-2 Idaho by two and losing to 5-13, 2-6 Utah by two. Washington State has been held under 67 points during their last five away games after scoring in the 80s against the WCC. The Cougars have allowed more than 70 five times on the road and 10 times all year. WSU has tipped 70 offensively nine times. With the Cougs struggling in away games and Arizona State struggling at home, I'm torn. Pinned in the corner I'll take Washington State to win straight up so as a result I'll side with the Cougars beating the Sun Devils by a bucket or more.