Washington State vs. FGCU Women's Basketball Predictions & Picks - NCAA Tournament First Round

Saturday's contest that pits the Washington State Cougars (23-10) against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (32-3) at The William B. Finneran Pavilion has a good chance to be a tight matchup based on our computer prediction, which projects a final score of 67-64 in favor of Washington State. Game time is at 2:30 PM ET on March 18.

The Cougars are coming off of a 65-61 win against UCLA in their most recent outing on Sunday.

Washington State vs. FGCU Game Info

• When: Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 2:30 PM ET
• Where: The William B. Finneran Pavilion in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
• How to Watch on TV: ESPNU

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Washington State vs. FGCU Score Prediction

• Prediction: Washington State 67, FGCU 66

Washington State Schedule Analysis

• On March 2, the Cougars claimed their best win of the season, a 66-58 victory over the Utah Utes, who rank No. 8 in the AP's Top 25.
• When facing Quadrant 1 opponents, the Cougars are 10-8 (.556%) -- tied for the sixth-most wins, but also tied for the 47th-most defeats.
• Washington State has tied for the 21st-most Quadrant 2 victories in the nation (six).

Washington State 2022-23 Best Wins

• 66-58 over Utah (No. 8/AP Poll) on March 2
• 65-61 over UCLA (No. 14/AP Poll) on March 5
• 62-55 on the road over UCLA (No. 14/AP Poll) on February 23
• 61-49 over Colorado (No. 21/AP Poll) on March 3
• 70-59 on the road over Arizona (No. 25/AP Poll) on January 29

FGCU Schedule Analysis

• The Eagles defeated the Kentucky Wildcats (No. 95-ranked in our computer rankings) in a 69-63 win on December 18 -- their best win of the season.
• FGCU has tied for the 36th-most Quadrant 4 wins in the country (14).

FGCU 2022-23 Best Wins

• 69-63 on the road over Kentucky (No. 95) on December 18
• 84-60 at home over Liberty (No. 96) on March 11
• 70-53 at home over Liberty (No. 96) on January 2
• 68-60 over San Diego (No. 114) on November 20
• 65-45 on the road over Hawaii (No. 132) on November 18

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Washington State Performance Insights

• The Cougars average 67.2 points per game (137th in college basketball) while allowing 60.9 per outing (84th in college basketball). They have a +206 scoring differential overall and outscore opponents by 6.3 points per game.
• Offensively, Washington State is tallying 63.0 points per game this year in conference tilts. To compare, its season average (67.2 points per game) is 4.2 PPG higher.
• The Cougars are scoring 67.0 points per game in home games. On the road, they are faring better offensively, averaging 67.8 points per contest.
• In 2022-23, Washington State is allowing 58.1 points per game in home games. On the road, it is allowing 64.8.
• In their last 10 games, the Cougars have been racking up 63.8 points per contest, an average that's slightly lower than the 67.2 they've scored over the course of the 2022-23 season.

FGCU Performance Insights

• The Eagles' +778 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 22.3 points per game) is a result of putting up 78.1 points per game (17th in college basketball) while allowing 55.8 per contest (17th in college basketball).
• FGCU has averaged 4 more points in ASUN games (82.1) than overall (78.1).
• The Eagles are putting up fewer points at home (76.3 per game) than away (82.0).
• At home, FGCU concedes 51.7 points per game. On the road, it concedes 57.4.
• While the Eagles are scoring 78.1 points per game in 2022-23, they have fallen short of that in their last 10 games, tallying 76.0 points per contest.