PULLMAN, Wash. –The Washington State women's basketball team (12-11, 3-9 Pac-12) was unable to complete the upset of No. 9/8 Oregon State (20-3, 11-1), Sunday, at Beasley Coliseum, falling to the Beavers, 54-45. With the Cougars leading by six at the end of the third quarter, top-ranked OSU outscored WSU 26-11 in the final 10 minutes to secure the victory. WSU freshman Borislava Hristova led all scorers with 22 points.

The Cougars excelled defensively, forcing Oregon State into 17 turnovers and holding the Beavers scoreless for over eight minutes in the third quarter. Sophomore Caila Hailey led the defensive charge, forcing OSU's Sydney Wiese into an uncharacteristic seven turnovers.

“I thought our kids played their hearts out,” WSU Head Coach June Daugherty said. “They were so committed to playing team defense. We gave Oregon State all they could handle. I loved our energy. For the majority of the game, we played our 'A game.' It's exciting to see that.”

With the Cougars leading entering the final quarter, Oregon State's Wiese took control of the game, scoring 13 of her 16 points in the last 10 minutes to guide the Beavers to victory. WSU turned the ball over three times in the final period and made just three field goals.

“Oregon State showed great poise, and they were able to close it out,” Daugherty said. “That's a step we have to take right now as a team – to be able to play hard and keep that passion, but close it out in the last five minutes. I was really encouraged about how hard we played and how well we played today.”

The highlight of the day for Washington State came in the second and third quarters. WSU outscored the Beavers 26-16 over the 20-minute stretch. Hristova dropped 16 points over the two periods, while the Cougar defense forced 10 turnovers and held OSU 0-of-12 from the floor in the final eight minutes of the third quarter.

The Beavers controlled the game on the glass, outrebounding WSU 43-31. WSU senior Taylor Edmondson, sophomore Pinelopi Pavlopoulou, and freshman Maria Kostourkova pulled in four rebounds apiece to lead the Cougars. WSU attempted just nine 3-pointers in the game, its fewest of the season, making four of them to shoot .444 from beyond the arc. The Cougars finished 18-of-57 (.316) from the field. Oregon State shot .353 (18-51) from the floor and 6-of-19 (.316) from 3-point range.

For the 19th time this season, the Cougar bench outscored the opponent's, recording 31 points to the Beavers' two points. WSU senior Alexas Williamson made her first-career start for the Cougars, while fellow senior Mariah Cooks made her first start of the season, and senior Taylor Edmondson made her second-career start, after starting a single game during her sophomore campaign.

Washington State now begins a four-game road trip to close out its away schedule. The Cougars face UCLA, Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. inside Staples Center in Los Angeles.