Cougars can't corral hot Sun Devils
<p>WSU's Royce Woolridge, center, drives between Arizona State guard Jahii Carson and center Ruslan Pateev during the first half Thursday night at Pullman.</p>
PULLMAN (AP) - Jahii Carson scored 25 points and Arizona State defeated Washington State 63-59 on Thursday night for its third straight victory.
Evan Gordon had 13 points and Carrick Felix had 11 points - all in the second half - and 11 rebounds for the Sun Devils (17-4, 6-2 Pac-12), who overcame 4-for-11 free-throw shooting and a nine-point Washington State first-half lead.
Royce Woolridge scored 16 points to lead the Cougars (11-10, 2-6). Mike Ladd had 14 points, and Brock Motum matched Felix with 11 points and 11 boards. Dexter Kernich-Drew scored 10 points for Washington State.
The Sun Devils are 6-2 in the conference for the first time since 1994, and are off to their best start since 1981, when ASU began 19-2 behind Byron Scott, Fat Lever and Alton Lister.
Washington State hosts the eighth-ranked Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.
ARIZONA ST. (17-4)
Gilling 1-9 0-0 3, Bachynski 2-6 1-3 5, Felix 4-11 0-0 11, Carson 10-19 3-5 25, Gordon 5-11 0-0 13, Colvin 2-5 0-3 6, Jacobsen 0-0 0-0 0, Barnes 0-1 0-0 0, Pateev 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-62 4-11 63.
WASHINGTON ST. (11-10)
Motum 3-13 4-6 11, Shelton 1-4 0-0 3, Ladd 5-9 2-4 14, Lacy 2-4 0-0 5, Woolridge 4-9 6-9 16, DiIorio 0-1 0-0 0, Longrus 0-0 0-0 0, Hayenga 0-0 0-0 0, Kernich-Drew 4-8 0-0 10. Totals 19-48 12-19 59.
Halftime_Washington St. 28-26. 3-Point Goals_Arizona St. 11-31 (Gordon 3-7, Felix 3-7, Colvin 2-4, Carson 2-5, Gilling 1-7, Barnes 0-1), Washington St. 9-23 (Ladd 2-4, Kernich-Drew 2-4, Woolridge 2-6, Shelton 1-1, Lacy 1-3, Motum 1-5). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Arizona St. 37 (Felix 11), Washington St. 38 (Motum 11). Assists_Arizona St. 13 (Colvin 5), Washington St. 10 (Woolridge 4). Total Fouls_Arizona St. 14, Washington St. 13. A_4,728.