BERKELEY, Calif. – The Washington State University women's basketball team continues its three-game Pac-12 Conference road trip this Sunday, Jan. 5, as the Cougars travel across the San Francisco Bay to take on California. Tip-off from Haas Pavilion is set for 12 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network Bay Area and Pac-12 Network Washington.
WASHINGTON STATE (7-7, 0-2)
at California (8-4, 0-1) | Sunday, Jan. 5 | 12 p.m. | Haas Pavilion
Live Stats | WSUCougars.com
Watch | Pac-12 Network Bay Area & Pac-12 Network Washington (Kate Scott & Rosalyn Gold-Onwude)
Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network (Steve Grubbs)
Game Notes | WSUCougars.com (PDF)
THE STARTING FIVE
-> Both teams come into Sunday's matchup seeking their first Pac-12 win of the season. Washington State stands at 0-2 with losses to Washington (65-56) and at Stanford (77-58), while Cal is 0-1 in league play after dropping its Pac-12 opener at home to the Huskies (67-64) on Friday night. Overall, WSU stands at 7-7 this season, while California holds an 8-4 overall mark.
-> WSU comes into Sunday's matchup looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The three-game skid matches a season-long drought for the Cougs, as they dropped three games in three days at the 2019 Paradise Island Jam Tournament to No. 2 Baylor, No. 5/6 South Carolina and No. 17/23 Indiana.
-> Redshirt senior Borislava Hristova is set to make history against the Golden Bears on Sunday, as she needs just eight points to become Washington State's all-time leading scorer. She enters the contest with 1,960 points, which is seven points behind Jeanne Eggart's (1977-82) career record of 1,967.
-> The Cougs have been knocking down their shots from all over the floor this season, as they rank inside the top 60 in the nation in points field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage. WSU ranks 52nd nationally in 3-point percentage with a 34.9% success rate, which is also third-highest in the Pac-12. From the floor, the Cougars rank 57th in the country with a 44.0% clip.
-> Washington State has challenged itself to the fullest this season, as they have already played five teams ranked inside both the AP and Coaches Top 25 Polls, which includes three games against top-five opponents. The robust schedule gives the Cougs an RPI of 100 entering Sunday's game, while their strength of schedule is 27th-best in the nation.
LAST TIME OUT
Washington State was handed a 77-58 defeat at No. 4/5 Stanford on Friday evening to fall to 0-2 in Pac-12 play. The Cardinal led the entire way, but the Cougars were able to go almost point-for-point with the defending Pac-12 Tournament Champions, as they were outscored by just one point over the final two quarters of play.
Seniors Chanelle Molina and Borislava Hristova combined to score all but 10 of WSU's points against Stanford, as Molina tallied a season-high 27 points, while Hristova collected 21 points in the loss.
#BOBIBUCKETS IS TAKING HER SHOT
Redshirt senior Borislava Hristova is putting on a cap to a remarkable career as a Cougar this season. The forward currently ranks first in the Pac-12 in field goals made (108) and field goals attempted (235). She ranks inside the top-10 nationally in both categories, as she is third in NCAA Division I in field goal attempts and places fourth in field goals made.
EXTENDING THE STREAK
#BobiBuckets is currently riding an eight-game double-digit scoring streak, which has helped her to an 18.6 points per game average this season. Her scoring average is the third-highest in the Pac-12, and puts her at 36th nationally.
CHANELLE IS BRING IT TO THE BEST
Senior Chanelle Molina recorded her second 25-plus-point performance of the season against a top-five opponent this past Friday with a season-high 27 points against No. 4/5 Stanford. The point guard shot a blistering 69% from the field by going 11-of-16 from the floor against the Cardinal.
Molina's previous season high in points came against No. 2 Baylor in the first game of the 2019 Paradise Island Jam, when she dropped 25 points on the defending National Champion Bears.
MOVING ON UP THE LIST
With five 3-point field goals against Stanford, senior Chanelle Molina moved into fourth on WSU's all-time 3-point field goals made list with 149. Molina's former teammate Alexys Swedlund (2015-19) current holds the program record with 227 shot made from behind the arc in 92 career games.
HIGH MILEAGE PERFORMANCES
Seniors Chanelle Molina and Borislava Hristova rank first and second in the Pac-12 in minutes played this season. Molina leads the conference with 485:35 minutes played, while Hristova's 472:49 is second-highest. Molina's 34.7 minutes played per game is also the high-mark in the Pac-12 this season, while Hristova's 33.8 minutes played per game ranks right behind her teammate.
CLOSING IN ON 100 WINS FOR COACH E
Head coach Kamie Ethridge needs just one win to collect her 100th career victory as an NCAA Division I head coach.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS
Like Washington State, Cal enters Sunday's contest looking for its first Pac-12 Conference win of the season after dropping a 67-64 decision in Haas Pavilion against Washington. The Golden Bears are 8-4 overall on the year and 7-2 overall at home. California will be concluding a nine-game homestand when they host the Cougars.
Offensively, Cal is averaging 71.1 points per contest on a 41.8% success rate from the floor. The Golden Bears features a balance scoring attack, as five players average 8.0 points per game or higher. Jaelyn Brown paces Cal at 15.3 points per game, while Alaysia Styles rounds out the duo of double-digit scorers with her 10.5 points per game average.
California is limiting teams to 61.8 points per game, as the opposition is shooting 38.5% from the field against them. Rebounding has been key for the Golden Bears this season, as they are pulling down 42.6 caroms per game. CJ West has been a force in the paint this season, as she is nearly averaging a double-double at 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
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