Anchorage, AK (SportsNetwork.com) - Josh Hawkinson tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and two blocks as the Washington State Cougars held on for a 76-74 win over the Rice Owls in the consolation ladder of the Great Alaska Shootout at the Alaska Airlines Center.

DaVonte Lacey added 15 points for the Cougars (2-3) on 2-of-6 shooting from the floor. Dexter Kernich-Drew provided a spark off the bench with 12 points.

Seth Gearhart led Rice (1-4) with 22 points on 7-of-13 efficiency from the field. Marcus Jackson contributed 14 points and five assists, while Max Guercy netted 11 points and Dan Peera scored 10. Maurice Rivers pulled down a team- best eight boards for the Owls.

The Cougars took a 39-33 lead into the intermission after they knocked down 4- of-10 tries from 3-point range and converted 9-of-10 shots at the free-throw line in the first half. Rice was limited to 34.4 percent shooting from the field through the opening 20 minutes of play.

The Owls improved to sink 45.5 percent of their field goal tries in the second stanza. WSU led, 74-72, with just eight seconds remaining in regulation, but Lacy drained a pair of shots at the charity stripe to make it a two-possession game. Guercy made a layup as time expired to cut Rice's deficit to two.

Despite the loss, the Owls dominated on the interior with a 39-32 advantage in total rebounds and a 32-26 edge in points in the paint.