Washington State faces the San Francisco Dons after Eleonora Villa scored 24 points in the Cougars' 69-61 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

SAN FRANCISCO — Washington State built a 17-point lead after the first quarter and rode an exceptional first half to a 74-58 road win at San Francisco. The Cougars led 45-21 at halftime. The Dons were unable to mount a serious rally, outscoring the visitors by eight in the second half.

Nate Calmese’s 27 points lifted the Washington State men’s basketball team to a win at San Diego, and the WSU women cruised to a 74-58 victory at San Francisco.

BOTTOM LINE: San Francisco plays Portland after Malik Thomas scored 34 points in San Francisco’s 91-82 loss to the Washington State Cougars. The Dons are 10-0 in home games. San Francisco is third in the WCC at limiting opponent scoring, giving up 66.8 points while holding opponents to 41.3% shooting.

Washington State visits the San Francisco Dons after Eleonora Villa scored 24 points in the Cougars' 69-61 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Following two wins over West Coast Conference opponents in three days, the Washington State Cougars men's basketball team are riding a wave of positivity. WSU a

Zag fans would likely rather have the usual blowouts in league — a lot less stressful to watch — but these types of games will turn out to be better for their team in the long run.

During the last week or so, Washington State head coach David Riley has worn out one word in particular : growth. Riley wants to see it from his Cougars in ironing out turnovers, in late-game execution,

San Francisco visits the Pacific Tigers after Angeliki Ziaka scored 20 points in the Dons' 74-58 loss to the Washington State Cougars.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for Washington State nabbed road WCC wins on Thursday night. Both however, took different paths to their victories. To start the night, the women’s team demolished the San Francisco Dons,

Jack Payne (Idaho mbb): To beat the Eagles with a shorthanded lineup, the Vandals will need to turn to Boise native Jack Payne to continue his hot streak. Payne posted a career-high 23 points at Sacramento State on Jan. 9. He is averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

BOTTOM LINE: Washington State visits San Francisco after Eleonora Villa scored 24 points in Washington State's 69-61 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Dons are 6-0 on their home court. San Francisco is the WCC leader with 35.2 rebounds per game led by Debora Dos Santos averaging 7.7.