PULLMAN, Wash. – Four players scored in double figures for Washington State women's basketball in an 85-69 victory over Saint Mary's College at Beasley Coliseum Sunday.
The Cougars improved to 2-0 after forcing 24 turnovers and received 33 points from its bench while holding the Gaels (0-2) to 41 percent shooting including 25 percent in the fourth quarter. Junior guard
Caila Hailey recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds while junior forward
Louise Brown added 14 points and eight rebounds, hitting a pair of three-pointers. Sophomore guards
Borislava Hristova and
Alexys Swedlund added 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Senior
Ivana Kmetovska added seven points for Washington State who shot 53 percent in the fourth quarter and pulled away after Saint Mary's cut the lead to one late in the third quarter.
The Cougar defense set the tone early, forcing Saint Mary's into 17 first-half turnovers and converting ton 19 points for a 42-35 advantage at the break. Hailey led the Cougars with seven points and four rebounds while Brown added six points and freshman
Kayla Washington chipped in with six points and a steal off the bench.
Saint Mary's used an 11-3 run late in the third quarter to cut the Cougar lead to one, 53-52 but WSU got a big shot from Swedlund. The sophomore came out of a timeout and drained a three from the left corner that sparked a 16-4 run and a comfortable lead for Washington State. During the run, Swedlund closed the quarter with a layup and Brown hit a three from the right wing, McClure connected on a jumphook and Molina later capped the run with a driving layup.
Late in the fourth, the Cougars put the game away with a six straight points as Hailey grabbed her tenth rebound and went back up for the score before Hristova followed with a pair of baskets and Brown hit another three from the right wing for a 16-point lead.
The Cougars continue their homestand next week, hosting the University of San Francisco Friday at 7 p.m. before a Pac-12 Network meeting against Oklahoma State University Sunday at Noon.
