nds of ways, mentally and physically, and just kept ticking and kept going and putting one step in front of the other, really defined who we are as a

PULLMAN, Wash. -- It came down to a one-point game with 1:06 seconds left but two free throws apiece from Josh Hawkinson and Charles Callison lifted Washington State over Utah Valley 83-76 Wednesday night.After Washington State (3-4) stretched its lead to 19 points early in the second half, the Wolverines (4-2) closed the gap by capitalizing on the Cougars mistakes.Brandon Randolph had a dunk to pull Utah Valley to 77-76 with just over a minute left. But Hawkinson answered on the other end and after Utah Valley missed two 3s, Callison hit two free throws with 24 seconds left for a four-point lead.I thought we were superb in the first half. The second half, it shows you how good they were because as soon as we had that slippage, they made us pay in the game, Washington State coach Ernie Kent said. Im proud of this team. In the last four or five minutes they did everything right.Washington State was led freshman guard Malachi Flynn, who scored a season-best 27 points and had seven rebounds and three assists. Kent said Flynns performance is a testament to how special he is as a player.You always dream of doing good, Flynn said. It was just trying to come out be aggressive and wait for my shots. Tonight, they fell down.Flynn shot 11 of 14 from the field and 2 of 3 from the arc.Kenneth Ogbe led the Wolverines in scoring with 20 points, followed by Isaac Neilson with 18 points. The Wolverines finished shooting 37 percent from the field and 31 percent from the arc.Utah Valley coach Mark Pope said the Cougars slowed them down and prevented them from sharing the ball like they usually do, disrupting the offense especially in the first half.The way we play is a dynamic, fluid way. Its a rhythm, its a feel. Sometimes it can be elusive, Pope said. Right now, with these new guys, it kind of comes and goes on us. And as we grow we will be able to play more minutes the right way.The Wolverines have three true freshmen, and three players with only one previous season of experience. Pope said that the youth of the team also factored in to their inability to outlast the hype of the teams win over BYU last Saturday.It is hard to bury emotional games like that and as a coaching staff that is our job to help our guys do that and we didnt do that very well.Hawkinson had his 45th career double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds to help the Cougars snap a two-game losing streak.BIG PICTUREWashington State: After falling to San Jose State on Sunday, the Cougars gained back some momentum against Utah Valley as they enter the last stretch before conference play. The Cougars finished last in the Pac-12 last season, and have yet to find sustainable momentum this season.UP NEXTUtah Valley: The Wolverines will return to their home court on Sunday to face UTSA, ending their three-game road trip that included a big win against BYU.Washington State hosts New Orleans on Sunday. The Cougars have four games remaining before conference play. Devin Singletary Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Josh Allen Youth Jersey . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-OJ-Simpson-Bills-Jersey/ . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Tremaine Edmunds Bills Jersey . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Josh Allen Jersey .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. BOULDER, Colo. -- Mike MacIntyre sometimes takes for granted the toughness of his senior quarterback.Not when the Colorado coach goes back over game film, though. MacIntyre will catch a particularly smashing hit on Sefo Liufau that makes him wince for his durable QB and mutter, Wow.Hes given me a few `Wow moments, MacIntyre said.Liufaus lifted the ninth-ranked Buffaloes (10-2, No. 8 CFP ) into the Pac-12 championship game on Friday against No. 4 Washington (11-1, No. 4 CFP) through his poise in the pocket, his take-it-through-the-tackles running style and, of course, his mettle.Sefo, being the guy that took the punishment in all kinds of ways, mentally and physically, and just kept ticking and kept going and putting one step in front of the other, really defined who we are as a program, said MacIntyre, who was voted Pac-12 coach of the year on Tuesday. To me, hell be a guy theyll talk about for a long, long time as this thing keeps going.Hard to miss his name in the record books, because its all over the place. Hes set or tied 87 school records and counting.Way more meaningful to him is this: Colorados headed to its first league title game since 2005 -- back when they were in the Big 12 -- and first bowl appearance since 2007.Its all about just building and trying to keep the foundation going for a successful future, said Liufau, whos from Tacoma, Washington. I want people to break my records. I want people to break this teams record.There were days last spring when Liufau didnt know if he would even play this season. Days when he soaked his surgically repaired foot in a cold tub and wondered how long it would take to heal.Liufau injured his left foot in the first quarter against USC on Nov. 13, 2015, with the team driving for a score. He had surgery a week later for an injury that usually involves a separation of ligaments and joints in the foot and requires an arduous rehab. The general timeline would sideline him for around eight months.As an insurance plan, the Buffaloes announced in February that quarterback Davis Webb would be joining the program soon after graduating from Texas Tech. But then Webb announced he changed his mind and was heading for Califorrnia.dddddddddddds it turned out, Liufau was ahead of schedule in his rehab and made it back in time for the season opener, even earning the leagues offensive player of the week honors for his play.Hes certainly taken his share of bumps and bruises this season. Most notably, injuring his ankle at Michigan which caused him to miss two games. Hes also dealing with a nagging hip pointer that causes him to grimace at times after a hard hit. But he gets back up and thats a reason why the Colorado fans recently voted him the Buffalo Heart award recipient.I guess he does amaze me at times with his toughness and how he keeps playing and how he keeps fighting and how he fights through things mentally, MacIntyre said. He does amaze me sometimes, but Im so used to it.Lately, the Buffaloes have expanded their offensive repertoire to rely even more on the size and strength of the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Liufau. Not around the edges, either, but through the middle. Hes averaged 19 carries over the Buffaloes six-game winning streak.All those inside carries werent something he envisioned.Whatever it takes to win. If that means going between the tackles, and doing whatever it takes to win, Ill do it, said Liufau, a Pac-12 honorable mention selection this season.Hes certainly earned the respect of Washington coach Chris Petersen.Hes a really good quarterback, theres no doubt, Petersen said at his weekly news conference. Hes a good passer, but hes a power runner as well.That was h