PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team wraps up its brief two-game homestand this Friday, Dec. 2, as the Cougars host Montana. Tip-off from Beasley Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. PT and will stream live on the WSU Live Stream and Pac-12 Insider.
WASHINGTON STATE (5-1, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. Montana (2-4, 0-0 Big Sky) | Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 | 6 p.m. | Beasley Coliseum
Live Stats | WSUCougars.com
Watch | Pac-12 Insider/WSU Live Stream (Trevor Williams)
Listen | Click Here
Game Notes | Click Here
Starting Five
>> The Cougars will be coming into Friday's matchup against Montana looking for their third-straight win. Washington State defeated the defending WNIT champions, South Dakota State 61-41 this past Monday, Nov. 28, in Beasley Coliseum to move to 5-1 on the year.
>> Washington State stands at 5-1 through the first six games of the 2022-23 season. It marks the third-straight season that WSU has won five of its first six contests. It is just the fifth time since the turn of the century that the Cougars have started a campaign at 5-1. It also marks the 18th time in program history that Wazzu has opened a season winning five of its first six games.
>> Friday's matchup against Washington State and Montana will be the 40th meeting between the two schools. Montana leads the all-time series 22-17 and has won the last nine games against the Cougars.
>> Washington State and Montana are quite familiar with each other historically, as they've played 39 times prior to Friday's contest. Montana is Washington State's second-longest non-conference rivalry, trailing only WSU's 41 games played against Idaho and Boise State. The last meeting came on March 19, 2014, in the WNIT, with the Lady Griz taking a 90-78 victory in Missoula. Washington State's last win in the series came back on Dec. 21, 1988, with a 62-60 victory in Pullman.
>> Washington State will be seeking its 11th-straight non-conference win at home this Friday. The current 10-game winning streak dates back to the 2019-20 season. WSU is 17-4 against non-conference foes inside Beasley Coliseum under Head Coach Kamie Ethridge.
Game Coverage
Friday's contest against Montana will be streamed live for free on Pac-12 Plus and the WSU Live Stream. Fans can follow the action via live stats on WSUCougars.com.
Double Trouble
Senior Bella Murekatete has recorded a double-double in three of her last four games, which includes two-consecutive double-doubles heading into Friday's matchup against Montana. She is the 24th player in program history to post a double-double in consecutive games. Murekatete has averaged 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds over the last four games.
Finding Her Groove
Senior Johanna Teder has strung together a three-game double-digit scoring streak heading into Friday's contest against Montana. She is coming off a season-high 17-point performance in Monday's win over South Dakota State and she has averaged 13.7 points per game over the last three contests.
Coming Into Her Own
Sophomore Tara Wallack has posted double-digit points in three of her last four games. Wallack is averaging 13.7 points per game and is shooting an impressive 51.2 percent from the field during the stretch.
Miss Dependable
Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker has scored double-digit points in all six games this season. In fact, Leger-Walker has registered 10 or more points in 53 of her 60 career games played at Washington State.
Scouting the Lady Grizzlies
Montana comes into Beasley Coliseum sporting a 2-4 overall record this season. The Lady Grizzlies are looking to shake a two-game losing streak after coming off back-to-back losses against Wichita State and at California. Montana is coached by Brian Holsinger, who was an assistant at Washington State from 2007-15.
Fifth-year senior Sammy Fatkin leads the Lady Griz in scoring at 13.8 points per game. Redshirt junior Gina Maxwell, who transferred from Idaho, is also averaging double figures at 12.5 points per contest.
Montana is averaging 64.5 points per contest through six games this season. The Lady Griz are shooting 36.6 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from behind the arc. Teams are putting up 68.3 points per contest while shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Montana is allowing teams to shoot 33.9 percent on 3-point shots.
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