When sophomore forward Klay Thompson catches fire, opposing defenses are going to be in for a long night. In the Cougars' 89-70 victory over Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, the California native had a career-high 37 points off of 15-20 shooting. Thompson’s performance was only eight points shy of the single-game school record of 45 set in 1986 by Brian Quinnett against Loyola Marymount.

“When he shot it, it seemed like the hoops were about five feet in diameter,” Head Coach Ken Bone said. “You just knew it was going in, and I think he did too. We were just telling Klay to be aggressive. He’s a great scorer and a great shooter." Thompson started out the game 5-5, compared to 0-6 in Monday’s 67-61 win over Eastern Washington.

“He put on a show, and hopefully it’s not the last time he does it," Bone said. "And I don’t think it will be.” The Cougars looked dominant over the Mastodons Thursday night and came out of the gates running. WSU shot an impressive 63 percent, going 17-27 from the field in the first half compared to IPFW’s 37.5 percent off 12-32 shooting from the floor.

Thompson hit his 10th field goal of the first half for his 22nd point with five seconds on the clock when he came off a screen from redshirt sophomore power forward Abe Lodwick. He pushed the Cougar lead 44-31 going into the intermission.

In the second half, the Mastodons began chipping away at the Cougar lead early on. After a string of forced turnovers by freshman point guard Reggie Moore and Lodwick, WSU was able to get into an offensive rhythm. IPFW did not come within 14 points for the rest of the game.

Moore continued to look impressive for the Cougars by finishing with nine points as well as tying for second in rebounds with four. “I think Reggie’s doing a good job,” Bone said. “He’s played fairly well and under control. Tonight, he had no turnovers. The other day, I think he only had one. For a freshman to play about 60 minutes and have one turnover is pretty good.” Moore had the play of the night when he received an outlet pass from senior guard Nikola Koprivica. Moore then threw down a thundering two-handed dunk that got the fans inside Beasley Coliseum on their feet.

The Cougars' offense continued to put points on the board, pushing the lead to 64-44 while the defense stepped up their intensity. WSU provided a suffocating defense that frustrated not only the Mastodon players, but the coaches as well.

Those on hand Thursday night saw the first technical called for the 2009-10 season when IPFW Head Coach Dane Fife was livid after a foul was not called down low. Fife voiced his displeasure to a nearby official and was immediately hit with a technical.

Things only got worse for the Mastodons as Thompson continued to put on an offensive clinic, helping push the Cougars to a 27-point lead, 83-56, their largest on the night.

Now 3-0 on the season, WSU will be on the road for its next five games, including three in Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout that begins for the Cougars next Wednesday against Alaska Anchorage. “We have time to bond – that’s for sure,” Bone said with a smile.