#7 WASHINGTON STATE (12-18) vs. #2 Stanford (25-5)
6:00 p.m. | Friday | March 3, 2017 | Pac-12 Quarterfinals
Seattle, Wash. | KayArena (17,072)
WSU ADVANCES IN THE PAC-12 TOURNEY TO PLAY STANFORD
Earning the No. 7 seed in 2017 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament the Cougs have a date with 2nd seeded and #10/9 ranked Stanford in the second round. THe Cougs have a monumental task at hand to advance to the semifinals as WSU has never beaten the Cardinal in 61 games. WSU has advanced to the semifinals twice in the tournaments history, the last time in 2014 when the 7th seeded Cougs knocked off 2nd seeded Cal, 91-83. WSU would fall the next day to Oregon State to fall just short of a bid to the tournament finals. The Cougs and Cardinal have met just once in the Pac-12 tournament with the No. 1 seeded Cardinal beating 8th seed, WSU, 79-60, in the semifinal round of the 2013 tournament.
LAST TIME OUT
Survive and advance is all that matters come March and the Cougars did just that as Washington State erased a 14-point first quarter deficit to defeat Colorado, 79-78, in the first round of the 2017 Pac-12 Championship tournament. The win for Washington State (12-18) marked the fifth time the Cougs had advanced to the tournaments quarterfinals while handing the Buffs (15-15) a second-straight loss in less than one week. Leading the way, Alexys Swedlund's huge second quarter led to a career effort for the second-year sharpshooter as she finished the night with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. She would hit 4-of-6 from deep to lead a Cougar attack that drilled 10-of-17 from distance. Swedlund's 64.3% (9-14) shooting was the second-best for any Coug in a Pac-12 Tournament game all-time. The comeback from 14-points down tied for the fourth-largest rally for the Cougs in program history as WSU stormed into the second round of tournament. The Cougs and the Buffs combined for a Pac-12 Tournament record 21 threes in the contest. WSU shot 52.7% (29-55), a season-best for the Cougs and their best-ever showing in a Pac-12 Tournament game. From behind the arc, WSU was even better at 58.8% (10-17) a season high and Pac-12 Tournament all-time high for the Cougs.
WASHINGTON STATE IN THE REGULAR SEASON
The Cougars finished the regular season with a 12-18 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in Pac-12 Conference play earning a tie for 7th after being picked to finish 10th in the preseason. Most recently, WSU split its final regular-season series, falling to Utah, 74-57, Thursday before defeating Colorado, 67-56, Saturday on senior day. The Cougars lost six games this season that were decided by two possessions (six points) or less or in overtime. Washington State defeated one nationally-ranked opponent this season, upsetting #9/7 UCLA, 82-73, on Jan. 6 in the program's biggest upset ever. WSU is in line for a third postseason berth in four years as the Pac-12's possible automatic qualifier into the WNIT. The top team from the conference that does not make the NCAA earns a spot in the WNIT and heading into the Pac-12 Tournament, the top six teams have been projected into the field of 64.
6:00 p.m. | Friday | March 3, 2017 | Pac-12 Quarterfinals
Seattle, Wash. | KayArena (17,072)
WSU ADVANCES IN THE PAC-12 TOURNEY TO PLAY STANFORD
Earning the No. 7 seed in 2017 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament the Cougs have a date with 2nd seeded and #10/9 ranked Stanford in the second round. THe Cougs have a monumental task at hand to advance to the semifinals as WSU has never beaten the Cardinal in 61 games. WSU has advanced to the semifinals twice in the tournaments history, the last time in 2014 when the 7th seeded Cougs knocked off 2nd seeded Cal, 91-83. WSU would fall the next day to Oregon State to fall just short of a bid to the tournament finals. The Cougs and Cardinal have met just once in the Pac-12 tournament with the No. 1 seeded Cardinal beating 8th seed, WSU, 79-60, in the semifinal round of the 2013 tournament.
LAST TIME OUT
Survive and advance is all that matters come March and the Cougars did just that as Washington State erased a 14-point first quarter deficit to defeat Colorado, 79-78, in the first round of the 2017 Pac-12 Championship tournament. The win for Washington State (12-18) marked the fifth time the Cougs had advanced to the tournaments quarterfinals while handing the Buffs (15-15) a second-straight loss in less than one week. Leading the way, Alexys Swedlund's huge second quarter led to a career effort for the second-year sharpshooter as she finished the night with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. She would hit 4-of-6 from deep to lead a Cougar attack that drilled 10-of-17 from distance. Swedlund's 64.3% (9-14) shooting was the second-best for any Coug in a Pac-12 Tournament game all-time. The comeback from 14-points down tied for the fourth-largest rally for the Cougs in program history as WSU stormed into the second round of tournament. The Cougs and the Buffs combined for a Pac-12 Tournament record 21 threes in the contest. WSU shot 52.7% (29-55), a season-best for the Cougs and their best-ever showing in a Pac-12 Tournament game. From behind the arc, WSU was even better at 58.8% (10-17) a season high and Pac-12 Tournament all-time high for the Cougs.
WASHINGTON STATE IN THE REGULAR SEASON
The Cougars finished the regular season with a 12-18 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in Pac-12 Conference play earning a tie for 7th after being picked to finish 10th in the preseason. Most recently, WSU split its final regular-season series, falling to Utah, 74-57, Thursday before defeating Colorado, 67-56, Saturday on senior day. The Cougars lost six games this season that were decided by two possessions (six points) or less or in overtime. Washington State defeated one nationally-ranked opponent this season, upsetting #9/7 UCLA, 82-73, on Jan. 6 in the program's biggest upset ever. WSU is in line for a third postseason berth in four years as the Pac-12's possible automatic qualifier into the WNIT. The top team from the conference that does not make the NCAA earns a spot in the WNIT and heading into the Pac-12 Tournament, the top six teams have been projected into the field of 64.