PULLMAN, Wash. – In its only meeting against Washington State this season, the Pacific men's basketball program will head to Beasley Coliseum for a 6:30 p.m. tip Wednesday.
 
It's a critical match-up with seeding implications as Pacific (17-11, 8-7 WCC) is 1.5 games ahead of Washington State (11-16, 6-8 WCC) for fourth-place. The winner will hold the head-to-head tiebreaker as the No. 3-4 seeds earn byes to the fourth round / quarterfinals of the conference tournament on Sunday, March 7.
 
In the current NCAA NET Rankings, Pacific is No. 103 out of 365, while the Cougars are No. 135. Since the NCAA NET Rankings came out in 2019-20, Pacific's highest ever finish was No. 110 in 2019-20.
 
The Tigers are going for their second straight road win after a historic 92-59 victory at Pepperdine last Saturday. The Tigers tallied their largest margin of victory of 33 points since rejoining the league in 2013-14. The last time Pacific won a conference road game by 33 was Jan. 22, 2011 against UC Davis on the road as a member of the Big West.
 
Pacific is one win away from doubling its overall win total from last year and have already doubled its conference win total. The Tigers have surpassed their overall win total by eight games and conference win total by four games from last season. It's the second year in a row under head coach Dave Smart that the Tigers have increased their win total from the year prior.
 
Senior Elias Ralph, a WCC Preseason All-Conference Team selection, leads the team in both scoring (16.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). In two seasons at Pacific, he's scored 954 points and recorded 18 double-doubles. Ralph ranks top-five in the WCC in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and minutes.
 
Senior TJ Wainwright averages in double-figures with 13.8 points per game and is shooting .396 from long range and .926 from the free throw line. He's shooting .432 from beyond-the-arc in conference.
 
Senior Jaden Clayton ranks 21st in the nation and second in the WCC in assists with 6.2 per game. He's up to 972 career points.
 
In conference games, senior Justin Rochelin is averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting .465 from three-point range.
 
The Cougars are looking to snap a three-game skid with road losses to Oregon State 74-64 and Gonzaga 83-53, and a home defeat to Santa Clara 96-92. They are 8-5 at home this year.
 
Washington State is 41st in the country in three-point percentage with a .368 clip and has a pair of volume shooters. Ace Glass averages 16.4 points per game and shoots .376 from long range on 165 attempts, while Rihards Vavers averages 11.3 points per outing and shoots .410 from distance on 144 attempts.
 
Wednesday's game can be seen on ESPN+ with Trevor Williams and PJ Carlesimo on the call. It can be heard live for free on Fox Sports AM 1280 with Zack Bayrouty as the voice of the Tigers.
 
Pacific will conclude the week with a 6 p.m. road game Saturday at No. 11 Gonzaga. The home finale is Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. against San Francisco at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
NOTES
- The Tigers are 2-0 all-time against Washington State after sweeping the season series last year 95-94 (OT) on the road and 70-68 at home. The road win featured a three-pointer at the buzzer by Lamar Washington, who is now a member of Georgia Tech.
 
- Pacific has clinched its first winning season since 2019-20 and third since rejoining the league in 2013-14.
 
- The Tigers have posted season sweeps over Oregon State and Pepperdine. The sweep over Oregon State could become critical in the final standings as the Tigers are currently one game ahead of the Beavers for fourth-place.
 
- Pacific has outrebounded 14 of 15 opponents in conference this season. The Tigers rank 11th in the nation in rebounding margin with a +9.3 mark.
 
- The Tigers are 12-0 this year when they have more fast break points.
 
- Pacific is 13-0 under Dave Smart in two seasons when holding the opposition to under 60 points and 10-0 (5-0 WCC) this year.
 
- The Tigers are 11-2 at home this season.  The .846 home winning percentage is their highest since 2004-05 when the team went 12-1 (.923). Pacific is 820-464 all-time at home and 357-231 in the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
- Four different Tigers have recorded a double-double in a game this year including seniors Isaac Jack, Wainwright, Rochelin and Ralph.
 
- Pacific has only used two starting lineups this season. Clayton and junior Kajus Kublickas have flipped at the point guard position.
 
Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474.  Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
 
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