To close out Santa Clara for the Quad 1 win, WSU must limit the Broncos’ explosive scorers

PULLMAN – As Washington State begins a stretch that could make or break a stretch of four Quad-1 games in five contests over the next two weeks, the Cougars might notice something about their first opponent.

Santa Clara, which hosts an 8 p.m. clue for an 8 p.m. clue on Thursday night, has had a few puzzling results on its ledger recently. The Broncos (13-7, 5-2) are coming off an upset road win over Gonzaga, falling to the suddenly-sliding Zags by 103 points, making 18 three-pointers and showing off their array of scorers.

Before that? Santa Clara dropped a road game against Middling LMU, allowing just 54 points for the game and winning a costly Quad-3 loss.

If there’s one way to understand these two outings, it’s this: To beat Gonzaga, Santa Clara shot 18 of 38 from beyond the arc, a sizzling 47%. In their loss to LMU they only shot 4 of 26, which is 15%.

If that seems a little reductive – of course hitting shots helps win games – it shouldn’t. WSU, third in the conference in 3-point defense, would do well to pay attention species of shots the Broncos found.

Guard Tyeree Bryan, who canned seven triples for 35 points, often did his damage on a catch-and-shoot 3-3. That’s the look he hit earlier against Gonzaga, and it’s the kind of shot he hit earlier in the half to grab a seven-point lead. Gu guard Nolan Hickman gets some pretty good competition on the first shot, but it doesn’t bother the 6-foot-5 Bryan, who can miss the defense.

Depending on whether WSU guard Isaiah Watts can return from his hand injury – coach David Riley said “there might be a chance” against Santa Clara or Saint Mary’s on Saturday – the Cougs could put guard Tomas Thrastarson on Bryan. Thrastarson may be a newbie, but a 6-6 frame has him well pinned in previous games against bigger opponents.

The Cougs will also have to stick with Bronco wing Adama-Alpha Bal, who posted all 20 points in the second half to topple Gonzaga, including four treys. He presents the same types of matchup problems as Bryan: Bal is a rangey 6-foot-7, giving him the length to shoot over contests and the size to get over taller defenders.

For WSU, the likely solution against BAL could be sophomore wing Lejuan Watts, who has guarded many of opponents’ best players this season. Watts doesn’t have Bal’s size at 6-6, but he has the physicality to make life difficult for him.

Here’s a sampling of Bal’s goal against the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Big and lengthy as the Broncos are across the board, however, they weren’t as effective on defense. For the season, Santa Clara allows opponents to shoot 57.2% on 2-pointers, which is No. 9 in the WCC. However, the Broncos run the conference’s best 3-point defense and limited opponents to 27% from deep.

They are sure to close down hard on WSU’s best shooters, including big men Dane Erikstrup and Ethan Price, as well as Thrastarson. The solution for the Cougs might be to attack those conclusions and get to the rim, where they shoot 57% on 2s.

WSU has been using its size well lately. In their blowout win over Portland last weekend, the Cougars converted 17 of 22 layups, struggling to bury defenders at the basket, and they did well when they got there. This followed an 8-for-12 effort on layups last weekend against San Diego.

“They definitely have good size down there” Eight minutes into the San Diego game – the beginning and end – we got multiple paint jobs. Guys play inside and play unselfishly. I think we can get good 2s and good 3s no matter what if we just play the right way and play multiple paints. “

Either way, it’s a critical Quad-1 game for WSU. Santa Clara enters Thursday’s game located just outside the bubble, according to Bart Torvik data. The Cougars have work to do to get there, but perhaps more importantly, they can close the Broncos further from the bubble and adjust to make an offer.

It’s partly a function of the path they’ve drawn. Due to a costly Quad 4 loss to Pacific earlier this month, WSU must take advantage of the opportunities ahead. Starting Wednesday – the net rankings change daily – the Cougs have six more Quad 1 games on their schedule. They can get out on the right foot by knocking off Santa Clara on Thursday.