It has been a very difficult stretch for the Washington Huskies as of late. The team was in the middle of a seven-game losing streak that coincidentally started when Washington lost two of their key post players. Jernard Jarreau was out after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and national blocks leader Robert Upshaw was dismissed from the team. In that short time, one of the team’s strengths quickly became their weakness.

Jarreau returned in Pullman on Sunday contributing six points in 28 minutes but it was Andrew Andrews and Nigel Williams-Goss who took over. The two guards combined for 55 points in the 87-84 Washington win over the Washington State Cougars at Beasley Coliseum. Andrews and Williams-Goss combined to shoot 18-of-31 from the floor and 7-of-15 from behind the arc which included the game-winning triple from Andrews with two seconds remaining.

Washington State was led by guard DaVonte Lacy who scored 23 points from the point guard position. Josh Hawkinson added a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds which included a big offensive rebound in the final minute to set up the tying free throws with 37 seconds left. Que Johnson added 16 points off the bench for Ernie Kent’s Cougars.

This game was a nail biter for the final 22 minutes as the margin between the two teams stuck within five. Washington State played with the lead for the majority of the game. Dexter Kernich-Drew’s three-pointer just five minutes into the game gave the Cougars a 14-13 lead; they would hold that lead for 16 minutes when Washington tied the game back at 44.

It would take another eight minutes for the Huskies to break through and take the lead. Darin Johnson’s pair of free throws with 10:46 remaining gave Washington a 63-61 lead. From there, the lead swung back and forth before ending in favor of the visitors from Seattle.

Both schools return to the court on Wednesday night as they travel to take on the Los Angeles schools this week. Washington State travels to the Galen Center to face the USC Trojans with a 7:00 pm PT tip-off. Washington heads to Pauley Pavilion for a big showdown with the UCLA Bruins in a nationally-televised game. Washington and UCLA will tip off at 8:00 pm PT, make sure to join us at VAVEL USA for live coverage of that game.