Standard-Examiner:
WSU couldn't have exploded offensively had it not been for its defense. WSU blocked three shots in the opening minutes as the Hornets missed their first 11 shots. Sacramento State shot just 25.6 percent in the second half while the 'Cats shot 71.4 percent.
WSU won the rebounding battle, outrebounding Sacramento State 53-24, and Arturas Valeika nearly outrebounded the Hornets by himself. Valeika finished with 20 for his 11th double-double of the season, and came close to a triple-double with six blocks, and when he grabbed his final rebound the Hornets had just 21 as a team.
Davis, Panos, Van Brocklin and Trevor Morris each grabbed five rebounds.
Rahe:
"I thought we started the game on our heels and you can't guard this team on your heels, they're too aggressive," Rahe said. "I thought we turned it around in the middle of the first half and started getting stops and that's what got us going. In the second half we continued that."
Rahe said that WSU's main focus on Monday was to play tough on defense and rebound well.
"That's what it's going to take to have any success in the tournament," Rahe said. "I think we can take some confidence in how we defended and rebounded and take it into Saturday."