In Case You Missed It
PULLMAN, Wash. – Behind five scorers in double-figures and a stifling defense that forced 28 turnovers, the Washington State women's basketball team began the new year with a bang, running away from The Masters University, 95-57, Wednesday at Beasley Coliseum. Making the most of their exhibition contest, the Cougs showed off their high-octane offense by throwing up 100 shots in 40 minutes of play to just miss hitting the century mark in points. A 14-0 run in the first quarter broke the game open early while the Cougs showed off their finishing kick with a 29-point fourth quarter to end the night. In just 11 minutes of play, sophomore
Kayla Washington dominated the game as she scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Her 10 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end, helped the Cougs to a 63-38 rebounding edge including a 32-9 edge on the offensive glass. While Washington showed off the all-around game, some familiar faces dominated the scoreline as
Alexys Swedlund, hot off her WNIT All-Tournament last season, came up with 15 points to lead all scorers while
Borislava Hristova made her return to the court with 14 points to go with seven boards and three steals.
Caila Hailey and
Maria Kostourkova rounded out the top scorers with 13 and 10, respectively.
Coach's Quote Of The Match
"We were rewarded for a lot of hardwork in the off-season and it's fun to see how much people have improved. I think it's been a long time since we put 100 shots up. That's really exciting. We talk about being a high-octane offense and being an exciting and entertaining team and I think you might have seen a little bit of a glimpse of that."
Things You Need To Know
- All 13 Cougs scored in the contest when freshman Taryn Shelley hit 1-of-2 from the line with just under :10 seconds to play in the game. Additionally, every player recorded at least two rebounds in the game.
- WSU forced 28 turnover and had 22 steals while converting the turnovers into 44 points. Nike McClure led the defensive effort with four steals to go with two blocks.
- After playing most of 2016-17 without three starters, the Cougs returned Hristova, Louise Brown, and Chanelle Molina to the lineup for the first time since an 83-73 win over San Diego on Dec. 2, 2016.
- The Cougs shot 41-for-100 (41.0%) while hitting 5-of-23 from behind the arc and 8-of-15 from the line.
