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Dec. 20, 2003

Box Score

PULLMAN -- Marcus Moore scored 16 of his season-high 22 points in the second half to lead Washington State past Idaho 62-55 Saturday.

Ezenwa Ukeagu added 15 points, matching his high in two years at Washington State, and Randy Green scored 13 for the Cougars (6-2). The Cougars, who finished 7-20 last season, have won four straight for the first time since December 1998.

Tyrone Hayes led Idaho (2-6) with 17 points. The Vandals have lost two in a row and six of seven. Idaho has lost eight in a row at Washington State since a 1989 win.

Hayes hit a baseline jumper with 7:50 left to give Idaho its only lead of the second half at 46-45. Moore, who scored only two points in a loss at Idaho last year, quickly responded with five unanswered points.

Idaho narrowed Washington State's lead to 58-55 on a Rashaad Powell free throw with 1:14 to go. Moore and Idaho's Dandrick Jones then missed jumpers, and Ukeagu and Green both sank a pair of free throws in the final 11 seconds to complete the scoring.

Both teams were streaky in the first half. Washington State led 5-0, then gave up 12 straight points. Later, the Cougars trailed 17-9 before scoring the next 11 points. A 10-0 run late in the half helped the Cougars lead 32-26 at the half.

Washington State announced after the game that highly touted junior college transfer Jeff Varem, who has yet to play this season, has been declared eligible by the NCAA and will play Monday at Fresno State.

Cougars coach Dick Bennett said the NCAA has ordered Varem to donate money to a charity of his choice to repay expenses paid for him in connection with his move from his native Nigeria to Buffalo, N.Y., in high school. Varem did not play high school basketball.