Cougars to face Pilots in Hardwood Classic
PULLMAN – The WSU men’s basketball team will take on Pacific Northwest foe, Portland, at the 2010 Cougar Hardwood Classic held Nov. 23 at Seattle’s KeyArena, Idol Sports and Entertainment announced Thursday.
This will be the sixth-straight year for the Cougar Hardwood Classic which began in 2005 against Utah. WSU has also faced San Diego State (2006), The Citadel (2007), Montana State (2008) and LSU (2009) in the game at KeyArena. WSU is undefeated at 5-0 in the Cougar Hardwood Classic.
This season marks the first time the contest will take place in November, with the game being held the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
A member of the West Coast Conference, Portland is coming off an appearance in the 2010 Collegeinsider.com Tournament (CIT) after tying its school NCAA Division I record with 21 victories. All-West Coast Honorable Mention selections Jared Stohl and Luke Sikma return for their senior seasons for the Pilots.
WSU holds a 9-2 record all-time against Portland as the two teams last met Nov. 29, 2006. The Cougars defeated the Pilots, 62-50 in that meeting and have won the last three matchups. The only neutral-site meeting between the two teams came in the 1983 Far West Classic in Portland, Ore. WSU won that game, 55-53.
Tickets can be purchased via the Ticketmaster general on-sale scheduled for Sept. 18. The time for the game is still to be decided. For updated information on the event you can visit the official website of the game at www.cougarsinseattle.com.
