ST. THOMAS, USVI – Senior Chanelle Molina became the 20th player in Washington State women's basketball history to score 1,000 points in their career, as she put up a game-high 25 points in an 89-66 loss to No. 2/2 Baylor in the first game of the 2019 Paradise Jam Tournament.
With the 25-point effort against the defending national champions, Molina has now collected 1,010 points in her WSU career, which places her at No. 19 on Washington State's all-time scoring list.
Molina, who was coming off a 21-point effort against CSUN, registered her season high in points for the second-straight contest, as the Kailua Kona, Hawaii native hit 8-of-14 of her shots from the the floor against a stingy Baylor defense. She also nailed a season-best four shots from behind the arc on eight attempts to help the Cougs shoot a season-high 38.9% from behind the arc.
Tonight marks the first time the Cougars have tasted defeat this season, as they fall to 4-1 on the season, but Washington State challenged the defending national champions throughout the final 20 minutes, as they were outscored by just three points in the final two frames.
Washington State had to overcome a slow first quarter that saw the Cougars go 2-of-12 from the floor, but ended the night shooting 41.5%, thanks to a 16-of-29 effort from the floor in the final two quarters of play. The 66 points that the Cougs scored were the most allowed byBaylor this season, while the 41.5 field goal percentage was also the highest shooting percentage the Bears have allowed this season.
Both Molina and redshirt senior Borislava Hristova played key roles in the strong second half performance, as each player tallied 15 points a piece in the final 20 minutes of play. Tonight's 15-point effort for Hristova brings her career point total to 1,806, as she becomes just the second player in WSU women's basketball history to score over 1,800 points.
It will be a short turnaround for the Cougars, as Washington State jumps back in action on Friday, Nov. 29, against No. 5/6 South Carolina in the second game of the Paradise Jam Tournament. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. and will be streamed live, for a fee, on FloHoops.com.
COUG QUOTES
Coach Ethridge on Tonight's Performance: "We challenged our team in the second half and they responded. It's another level of competitiveness when you play a top team in the country, and Baylor is so committed to the defensive end of the floor. We made a point (to our team) to challenge Baylor in the second half, they weren't going to go away and we needed to decide if we were going to play. I loved the response of our team. I think we managed the game a lot better in the second half, we quit turning the ball over and that's a big difference against that team. There is a lot to be happy about, but there is also a lot you have to worry about because we have to produce that kind of effort again tomorrow against another great opponent."
Coach Ethridge on Chanelle Molina's 25-point Effort: "You have to give her so much credit, she is really a skilled athlete. She has all the tools, and she can be a great pro. She was under so much pressure against different type of athletes all night. Other than the beginning of the game, she really managed things well, shot the ball well and made a lot of really good decisions. She showed her toughness and competitiveness tonight, and I'm not sure where we would be without her because she played at a high-level tonight."
Chanelle Molina on Joining the 1,000-Point Club at WSU: "I'm so honored to get 1,000 points, it gives me confidence. All my hard work is paying off, but I'm going to keep my head down, stay humble and help my team get as many wins as possible."
COUG NOTES
- With tonight's 25-point performance, Chanelle Molina becomes the 20th player in program history to score 1,000 points in their WSU career. Her current total of 1,010 points puts her at No. 19 on the all-time scoring list, just five points shy of 18th place.
- Molina's five assists tonight gives the Hawaiian native 323 career helpers, which places her at No. 9 on WSU's all-time assist list. The point guard is 125 assists away from breaking Darla Williamson's (1988-92) program record of 448.
- Cherilyn Molina posted a career-high eight points tonight against Baylor
- Tonight's 15-point performance snaps a four-game streak of 20-plus points for Borislava Hristova. She has still recorded double figures in the scoring column in every game this season.
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