PHOTO ESSAY: COUGS SOAR OVER ORU

WASHINGTON STATE connected on the the last five shots of the first half and then their initial four in the second stanza to take control of their first round NCAA Tournament game against Oral Roberts. Dunks, blocks and nothin' but net, the CF.C crimson and gray pictorial presented in living Technicolor.

Ivory Clark (19 pts) and Taylor Rochestie (15) were the Cougs' top two scorers but they certainly made their presence felt just as much on the defensive end.

Kyle Weaver sat much of the first half after being whistled for two quick fouls but when he returned, he made up for lost time in short order. His steal and dunk just before halftime set the tone for the Cougs torrid second half start, and this slam also brought the Cougar fans in attendance out of their seats.

Derrick Low took only seven shots against ORU -- but he connected on five of them, including a pair of 3-pointers in scoring 12 points.

Ivory Clark was the crimson catalyst on Thursday with thunderous dunks like this one.

Robbie Cowgill closed off the paint against Oral Roberts, logging 2 blocks, 5 rebounds and a steal in addition to his 7 points. The junior helped hold Oral Roberts scoring machine Caleb Green to seven points below his season average. Here, Cowgill drives the paint for a throw-down slam.

Taylor Rochestie hit this creative double clutch runner just before Weaver's steal and dunk to close out the half, drawing the Cougs to within a bucket. The sophomore had only one turnover to his four assists -- and the Cougs committed only six TOs.

Kyle Weaver chipped in 10 points on 5-8 shooting against ORU. The junior guard tied for game highs with eight rebounds and four assists.

"I wanted to be a spark off the bench," said Ivory Clark. "With Weaver out, I wanted to be more assertive." Mission accomplished, Mr. Clark.

Kyle Weaver cans a jumper on Thursday against Oral Roberts. The Cougars' win was the fourth NCAA tournament victory game in school history, and improved the school's tourney record to 4-4.

Senior Ivory Clark tied his career-high and set a WSU postseason record with five blocked shots. The Cougs blocked eight ORU shots -- their sixth game with over eight blocks this season.

Washington State meets 6-seed Vanderbilt on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. PT.