Washington State basketball coach Tony Bennett gave his father Dick a get-well present ahead of his upcoming hip replacement surgery.

'Iolani alum Derrick Low scored 22 points and Daven Harmeling 20 as Washington State (8-1) improved on one of the best starts in team history before the largest crowd in Pullman, Wash., in more than a decade with a 77-67 victory over No. 18 Gonzaga (8-2) last night.

Dick Bennett came out of retirement to spend three years rebuilding the WSU program before turning the reins over to Tony this season.

Scheduled for surgery tomorrow, the elder Bennett had talked about what a good present a Cougar victory would be heading into the ordeal, Tony said.

"He is the architect of this thing and we are all a part of it," Tony Bennett said. "Just to send him to surgery on such a good note is great."

The Cougars overcame poor free-throw shooting to break a seven-game losing streak to Gonzaga. Many in the crowd of 10,755 stormed the floor after the win.

"Our guys have never played with that many people behind them to energize them," Tony Bennett said. "They have played with 11,000 screaming against them."