Exactly six weeks ago, in a sparsely-attended gym about a half-hour drive from the US-Mexico border, Washington State had to sweat out a win over San Diego. The Cougars trailed by as many as seven, and not until they woke up late in the game did they rally to avoid what would have been a costly loss.

Despite leading by as much as 30, the Washington State Cougars just sneaked by the four win San Diego Toreros, 93-86. WSU (17-13, 7-10 in conference) more or less told the arc of their season in the 40 minutes of basketball on Thursday night.