Weaver sparks Washington State turnaround vs. ORU

	#3 Washington St. #14 Oral Roberts 70 54   Box Score Recap All Scores
	SI Writers at the Tournament WINN: Maynor shows he's VCU's strongest link WINN: Terps avoid nightmare, pull out victory DAVIS: VCU not a shock, plus other Day 1 notes WAHL: What we've learned, plus my UNC mishap MANDEL: Duke suffering a rare down cycle DORTCH: Rice, Dudley carry Eagles to win DORTCH: Michigan State suffocates Marquette TAYLOR: Weaver helps WSU to win vs. ORU TAYLOR: IU's White the difference vs. Gonzaga MORRILL: Louisville plays loose, wins big MORRILL: Musketeers top Cougars in nail-biter DOHRMANN: Wolf Pack show they're more than Fazekas DOHRMANN: Purdue's desire pushes it past 'Zona GALLERY: Day One action from the Dance March Madness Archive | Women's Tourney Tourney Home Page | Play our Bracket Challenge

By Phil Taylor, SI.com

SACRAMENTO -- Can one play turn an entire game around? Maybe not, but it certainly seemed that way when Washington State forward Kyle Weaver stole an inbounds pass and dunked it just before the halftime buzzer. The bucket reduced Oral Roberts' halftime lead to 28-26, which might not seem like a big deal, but it changed the tenor of the game for Washington State heading into the locker room, which in turn led to the Cougars' 70-54 victory.

For most of the first half the third-seeded Cougars had been completely out of sync, maybe because they were unaccustomed to their newfound status as heavy favorites against the Golden Eagles, seeded 14th (even though Oral Roberts was a fairly popular upset pick.) Washington State, picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10 before the season, looked ill at ease, like a guy accustomed to wearing jeans who was suddenly stuck in a suit and tie.

Oral Roberts had used aggressive offensive rebounding and an effective transition game to get the better of things until the closing moment of the first half. That's when guard Taylor Rochestie scored on an acrobatic drive a few seconds before the end of the half. Weaver then stepped in front of the ensuing inbounds pass and sailed in for the dunk that sent a jolt of electricity through the Cougars as they raced off the floor. "We did a better job on our defensive boards and we started getting back on defense," said Washington State coach Tony Bennett. "But no doubt, Kyle's play was huge for us in terms of momentum."

Weaver has been making that kind of play for the Cougars all year. He's a quick, clever perimeter defender who ranked second in steals in the Pac-10 with 2.2 per game. "I just tried to read the passer's eyes," he said of his key steal. "I could see were he was going with the ball and I just anticipated." Did his steal change the game? "No one play really changes a game," Weaver said. Then he smiled. "But I guess it helped."

Also helpful was the Cougars' shooting after their shaky start. After making only six of their first 25 shots, they hit nine straight to take a 35-28 lead and shot 59.3 percent (16-27) in the second half. That kept Oral Roberts from ever making a serious second-half run.

Although they're a No. 3 seed, the Cougars know that they haven't convinced everyone that they are a serious Final Four contender. Asked what kind of message the victory sent to the non-believers, Cowgill said, "They'll probably say, 'We told you so. Look at that first half.'"

Player Who Impressed Me

At 6'6" and a well-sculpted 220 pounds, Washington State forward Ivory Clark doesn't look like a shot-blocker, but Oral Roberts will tell you that he is. Clark came off the bench and blocked five shots, many of them against taller Golden Eagles' big men, as part of an impressive overall performance. He was a big part of holding 6'8" Caleb Green, Oral Roberts' leading scorer and the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year, to 4-for-16 shooting, even though he didn't guard Green for most of the game. Clark has an uncanny ablity to come from the weak side and swat away shots, and he did it repeatedly on Thursday.

"I just tried to stay low and make Green shoot over me," said Cowgill. "When you have Ivory coming out of nowhere to block everything, it makes it a lot easier." Clark, a senior, lost his starting job to 6'10" sophomore Aron Baynes late in the season, but Bennett re-inserted him in the starting lineup for the second half against Oral Roberts. He would be wise to keep Clark there for the rest of the tournament. The Cougars were a far better team at both ends when Clark was on the floor (he also had 19 points and six rebounds), and he adds a harder edge to the team's attitude.

"Caleb kept smiling like everything was sweet," Clark said. "I just wanted to wipe that smile off his face." Mission accomplished.

Courtside Confidential

Green definitely is a habitual smiler. He had one on his face nearly the entire game, even when he was complaining to one of the officials about a call in the second half. The one time he lost it was when he threw an elbow at Weaver in frustration late in the game. But seconds later, he was smiling again. ... Oral Roberts assistant Tom Hankins was just the opposite of Green. Hankins spent much of the game, even when the Golden Eagles were ahead, with his head down and pinching the bridge of his nose, like a man with a migraine. ... Cowgill, Clark and forward Daven Harmeling drew a few laughs when they were asked after the game what it feels like to be favorites. "Us? Favorites?" they said in unison, looking at each other.

Big Picture

The Cougars may have needed a half to shake their tournament jitters. No one on their roster had ever played in an NCAA tournament game before, and the inexperience showed early. But now that they've survived, they have the look of a team that will be tough to beat. Washington State usually has five players on the floor who can all handle the ball and hit the outside shot, which makes them very tough to defend. The shaky first 15 minutes against Oral Roberts guarantees that some people will still think they're seeded too highly, but in the second half the Cougars looked like a worthy No. 3 seed. The prediction here is that there is a Sweet 16 in their future.