Washington State Basketball GameDay Huddle: UCLA Bruins

Feb 7, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad (15) dunks against the Washington Huskies during the game at the Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington State Cougars are in for a most difficult challenge tonight, again. They head into Pauley Pavilion to play a Bruin team that is pretty darn talented, if not young.

Last year, while we did come within 3 in game number one at Beasley, the Cougs got absolutely destroyed in Pauley and history is not a fan of WSU in this series.

• Saturday marks the 116th all-time meeting between UCLA and WSU, as the Bruins hold the 101-14 advantage in the series. 
• UCLA leads 53-2 at L.A. and 46-11 on the road, including a 2-0 mark in Spokane, along with a 2-1 neutral-site lead. 
• WSU has lost seven-straight games to UCLA and won just two of the last 18, its last win , Feb. 21, 2009 at Pauley Pavilion. 
• Head Coach Ken Bone is winless against UCLA at 0-6 as WSU’s head coach. 
• UCLA swept the series last year, a 63-60 win at Pullman, Feb. 4, 2012 and a 78-46 victory at L.A., March 1, 2012.

It’s pretty cut and dried. I don’t expect a win tonight and I really don’t know what kind of loss at this point would be morally enhancing. The Cougs are on a 3 game losing streak at the moment and can’t seem to jump the hurdles late in games.

Impressively, Brock Motum has scored in double figures in 232 straight games. He’s come close to not making it a few times this season, and with the athleticism and length of UCLA, this is a game where I could see the streak coming to an end. Hopefully it doesn’t and hopefully against all hope the Cougs come out of Pauley with a character defining victory.

Go Cougs!