honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 1:43 a.m., Sunday, March 9, 2008

Washington State Sr. class finds classic way to say bye

By Jerry Brewer
The Seattle Times

PULLMAN, Wash. — Naturally, they didn't exit walking on rose petals. During two seasons of unprecedented joy, the Washington State Cougars have been much more apt to trek across nails with bare feet. So on the most emotional day of their ascent, the celebration turned grimy.

This landmark Washington State senior class said goodbye to its fans with a performance that served as a fitting testament of this group's charm. It was about brawn and brains over beauty. It was a grind, a double-overtime test of willpower. And when it was over, it was a victory, 76-73 over Washington, in a scrapbook kind of game.

"You will never forget this game," Washington State coach Tony Bennett told his players in the locker room afterward.

No, they won't. For the five seniors — Robbie Cowgill, Derrick Low of Iolani, Kyle Weaver, Jeremy Cross and Chris Henry — this game was their entire Cougars careers stuffed into 50 minutes of extreme, possession-by-possession competition. Even Dick Bennett, their original coach, was there to witness it.

They should've lost the game about three times, and they should've won it three other times. Cowgill saved them twice, and in the second overtime, he teamed with center Aron Baynes to do the most damage.

The win wasn't secure, however, until Washington guard Ryan Appleby's 28-footer bounced off the back of the rim. Instead of exhaling after avoiding the upset, the Cougars burst into excitement, some players hugging, others running around like kids playing freeze tag.

"Wow!" public-address announcer/Pullman mayor Glenn Johnson roared after the buzzer sounded. "What a game."

It was a classic, especially if you're into physical basketball. The game only lacked last-second heroics. There were no buzzer-beaters to extend this one, just good defense. At the end of regulation, Weaver had a chance to close with a last-second shot. He stole the ball from Huskies guard Justin Dentmon, raced downcourt and let a floater fly, but it was no good.

"I told him, `This is one of the coolest mental pictures I've ever seen,' " said Washington State guard Taylor Rochestie, who was watching Weaver streak downcourt. "I'm sad he missed it because it would've been one helluva ending."

But it would've been all wrong. The Cougars aren't a team of luck. They're a team of pluck. They keep plucking until they get it right.

These seniors endured much failure before they found success the past two seasons. It has only made the ride more enjoyable. They are defined by how they've overcome their shortcomings.

And how fitting that this regular season ended with a victory over the Huskies. Three seasons ago, Washington State first showed its promise by sweeping the regular-season series against a Washington team that featured Brandon Roy and advanced to its second straight Sweet 16 that year.

The sweep began what has become string of seven consecutive victories over Washington. Yesterday, the Huskies played like a team tired of losing to their rivals. They were aggressive. They out-rebounded the Cougars 47-29. They played perhaps their grittiest game of the season, refusing to relent on the road.

They played through a 10-0 first-half Washington State run that felt more like 18-0 in a game like this, through Quincy Pondexter fouling out, through Jon Brockman collapsing in pain.

You saw a team that could eventually become a force. You saw a team that competed even though there was little at stake. You may have seen a game that the Huskies will look back on a year from now and consider it the moment everything turned.

But at the end, you saw them lose to a team more equipped to win in these situations.

"I'm glad we won," said Cowgill, who made tough layups near the end of regulation and the first overtime to help the Cougars avoid defeat. "There were tons of subplots in this game: the winning streak against the Cougars, senior day. It will probably be something I remember the rest of my life."

Probably? Come on, you can't forget this kind of ending.

"They had to scrap," Tony Bennett said. "That's the way it's been for Cougar basketball. Nothing has been easy, even when they've been successful. It probably is fitting."

Probably? Come on, this was the perfect celebration of grit.

"I'm kind of spent right now," Bennett admitted.

The whole team was spent. And triumphant. Which has become the standard around here.