No. 18 Washington 明言する／公表する 直面するs Washington, 目的（とする）s to stay hot at home
These are heady times on the Palouse.
Washington 明言する／公表する is 階級d No. 18 国家的に, the highest the Cougars have been since 2008. They've tied a program 記録，記録的な／記録する for most 会議／協議会 victories in a season with 14.
And Thursday night in Pullman, Wash., they'll host Washington in the 正規の／正選手-season finale. Barring a matchup in the Pac-12 tournament, it will be the last 会合 between the 競争相手s as members of the same 会議／協議会. The Huskies are 長，率いるd to the Big Ten next season, while the Cougars will 競う with Gonzaga in the West Coast 会議／協議会.
The Cougars (23-7, 14-5 Pac-12) drew （人が）群がるs of more than 8,000 for victories against USC and UCLA last 週末. They could come の近くに to a capacity （人が）群がる of 11,671 at Beasley Coliseum when they play the Huskies (16-14, 8-11).
"The way the schedule fell out, I just thought if we were doing 井戸／弁護士席, there'd be a chance to get some good （人が）群がるs 長，率いるing into the postseason," Washington 明言する／公表する coach Kyle Smith said.
It doesn't 傷つける that the Cougars are 15-1 at home this season.
"I feel invincible at home," Washington 明言する／公表する guard Jaylen 井戸／弁護士席s said after 得点する／非難する／２０ing a season-high 27 points and making all 10 of his 解放する／自由な-throw 試みる／企てるs in a 77-65 victory against UCLA on Saturday.
Guard Myles Rice, a 主要な 競争相手 for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, 追加するd 18 points and four 補助装置s for the Cougars. 今後s Isaac Jones and Andrej Jakimovski 連合させるd for 21 points and 14 回復するs.
The Cougars are a half-game behind fifth-階級d Arizona in the race for the 最高の，を越す 位置／汚点／見つけ出す in the 会議／協議会.
Smith has liked what he's seen from his team, so much so that he recently penned the "Ballad of the Palouse."
"It 会談 about building the culture, 肉親，親類d of 具体的に表現するs what it is to be a Coug," Smith said. "Let's let it ride."
If there's one 関心 for the Cougars, it's their 最近の habit of slow starts. They fell behind USC 10-4 and UCLA 19-6 last 週末, and 18-6 at Arizona 明言する／公表する on Feb. 24, their only loss in the past 11 games.
"I feel like we 肉親，親類d of got shocked by their aggressiveness, which can't happen next game," 井戸／弁護士席s said. "But it 肉親，親類d of just speaks to how together we are. We just 肉親，親類d of 決起大会／結集させるd, kept 押し進めるing, kept fighting. But that can't keep happening. I mean, it happened last game, happened this game. Thursday, it better not happen."
The Huskies are in ninth place in the 会議／協議会, which means they'd have to play a first-一連の会議、交渉／完成する game next week at the Pac-12 tournament. But they're only a half-game behind Arizona 明言する／公表する for the last first-一連の会議、交渉／完成する bye and 持つ／拘留する the tie-breakers after having twice 敗北・負かすd the Sun Devils this season.
Washington is led by a pair of 移転s from Kentucky in 今後 Keion Brooks Jr. and point guard Sahvir Wheeler.
Brooks, in his second season in Seattle, is 普通の／平均（する）ing a 会議／協議会-主要な 21.3 points per game, while Wheeler is second with a team-best 6.0 補助装置s.
The Huskies have been up and 負かす／撃墜する this season. After an impressive 94-77 victory against visiting UCLA last Thursday -- Brooks 得点する／非難する／２０d 32 points, making a career-high six 3-pointers -- they lost 82-75 to USC on Saturday.
"Gosh, I can't explain it," Washington coach マイク Hopkins said. "I felt like at the start of the game, we didn't have juice. Felt like the 殴打／砲列s were emptied mentally (and) 肉体的に."
Washington 明言する／公表する 敗北・負かすd the Huskies 90-87 in overtime on Feb. 3 in Seattle. Jones 得点する／非難する／２０d 20 points in that game, 含むing a tying du nk in the の近くにing seconds of 規則, and Rice 追加するd five of his 18 points in the extra 開会／開廷／会期. Brooks 一致するd 35 but 行方不明になるd an off-balance 3-pointer at the end of overtime.
--Field Level マスコミ
