Washington won the Wooden Legacy for the second time after also winning the trophy in 2014. Brooks Jr. was named MVP while Kepang was also named to the All-Tournament team. The Huskies handed the Gaels their first loss of the season and now own a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series.
Washington used a pair of big runs to build an advantage the Wildcats couldn't overcome.
Washington was disruptive defensively and gave itself a chance. But the Huskies couldn't find a way to get Brown untracked in the second half and had the long field goal-less streak to end their trip to Las Vegas.
Washington State cut the lead to three with under a minute remaining, but the Huskies executed a picture-perfect press break that led to a thunderous dunk from Matthews Jr. and a roar from the home crowd. The emotional, come-from-behind rivalry win had the Huskies feeling confident heading into a big stretch on the schedule.
It was a battle until the end, with PJ Fuller hitting a big three to put the Dawgs within three points with eight minutes remaining in the contest. In the end, the Cougars were able to pull away and get the win.
