GAME NOTES: Pac-12 Conference play tips off on Friday afternoon, as the Washington State Cougars do battle with the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion.

Washington State has splits its first 12 games, and the team is currently riding a modest two-game win streak. The Cougars took down UC Davis at home last Sunday, 90-83, a week after disposing of visiting San Jose State in an 82-53 final. Prior to the recent run of success, WSU had dropped two in a row and three of its previous four. The team has lost each of its four true road games this season.

Stanford enters conference play having won two in a row and four of its last five overall, with the biggest win being a 74-71 overtime triumph at No. 9 Texas on Dec. 23. The most recent win for the Cardinal came in a 74-39 pasting of Arkansas-Pine Bluff this past Monday, that victory running the team's record at home this season to 4-1.

Stanford leads the all-time series with Washington State, 73-59, and the Cardinal won all three meetings last season. The Cougars have lost the last two times they've visited Stanford, and seven of the last eight overall.

Josh Hawkinson logged a double-double consisting of 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Que Johnson tallied 14 points and Jordan Railey had 12 for Washington State as it got by UC Davis the last time out. The Cougars made good on 54.4 percent of their total shots, which included an outstanding 11-of-19 showing from 3-point range. The Aggies enjoyed similar success (.559 overall, .563 3- Pt.). WSU was guilty of 19 turnovers, but wound up with a 17-8 edge in points from the foul line, as well as a 34-23 rebounding advantage,

Davonte Lacy leads Washington State in scoring with his 17.3 ppg, while Hawkinson is hot on his heels with 15.7 ppg. No other player averages more than 8.8 ppg, the team as a whole putting up 71.8 ppg. Unfortunately, its defensive effort yields 73.7 ppg, with foes shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc while taking advantage of more than 13 miscues per outing by WSU.

Anthony Brown knocked down four 3-pointers and Chasson Randle hit three more, as Stanford rolled over Arkansas-Pine Bluff earlier this week. Brown finished with 16 points, Stefan Nastic had 13 and Randle 11 for the Cardinal, who made good on 51 percent of their field goal attempts, which included an 11-of-17 performance from distance. Conversely, the Golden Lions were limited to 31.7 percent field goal efficiency, and they committed an unsightly 25 turnovers, while losing the rebounding battle, 33-21. Stanford's reserves outscored those of UAPB, 24-8.

Randle is one of the top scorers in the Pac-12 this season, as he averages 18.5 ppg. Stanford has two other double-digit scorers in Nastic (14.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Brown (14.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg), and the team as a whole is generating 73 ppg while permitting 62.4 ppg. The Cardinal have done well from out on the perimeter, hitting 39.1 percent of their 3-point tries, while also converting 74 of their free throws. Favorable margins in both rebounding (+6.0) and turnovers (+2.3) have also helped the team's cause.

While WSU's Lacy and Hawkinson aren't about to mail it in, Stanford is the better team in this matchup and it should have little trouble defeating the visiting Cougars and get Pac-12 play started on a positive note.