SEATTLE – Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker scored a career-best 40 points at Washington Sunday, Dec. 11, but Leger-Walker's spectacular scoring performance couldn't lift the Cougars past the Huskies, as WSU drops its 2022-23 Pac-12 Conference season opener, 82-66, at the Alaska Airlines Arena.
Leger-Walker's 40 points against the Huskies are the second-most scored in a single game in program history. She becomes just the second player in WSU women's basketball history to score 40-plus points in a game, while she was one point shy of tying the program record of 41 points set by Jenni Ruff against California back on Feb. 24, 1996.
The guard shot 53.8 percent from the floor, as Leger-Walker connected on 14-of-26 of her shot attempts. Leger-Walker also made the second-most 3-point shots in a game in program history, as she connected on a career-high seven shots from behind the arc. Meanwhile, the 14 made field goals are tied for the seventh-most made in a single game in WSU history.
With the loss, Washington State's four-game winning streak comes to an end, as the Cougars are now 7-2 overall on the year and 0-1 in Pac-12 play.
The two teams came out trading blows, as Washington State held a 12-11 lead after back-to-back jumpers from Leger-Walker midway through the first quarter. The Huskies closed out the first frame on a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead into the second quarter. Washington extended its lead over the Cougs to double digits midway through the second, but WSU was able to cut its deficit to single digits at the break, as a layup from senior Bella Murekatete made it an eight-point game at 43-35 heading into halftime.
Washington State pulled to within six points coming out of the locker room, as two-straight baskets from Murekatete and sophomore Tara Wallack made it a 45-39 game with 8:20 left to play in the third. That would be as close as the Cougars would get, as Washington jumped out to a double-digit lead midway through the frame with the Huskies pushing their lead to as high as 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Murekatete extended her double-digit scoring streak to five games with a 10-point outing. Wallack paced the Cougars on the glass, pulling down a personal-best 11 rebounds against the Huskies. Washington State shot 36.9 percent from the field, while Washington shot a blistering 54.1 percent on its field goal attempts.
Coach Ethridge on the Decision
"Give credit to them. We didn't guard them well and they made a lot of shots. Give credit to them. We got beat. We got beat in every quarter and we couldn't get on track to score enough points when they are scoring at that kind of clip."
Coach Ethridge on Leger-Walker's 40-Point Outing
"What can you say? I feel bad that we don't have things in place that can help her a little bit. She is phenomenal and continues to do new and better things. I think we will get the rest of our team to respond in the right way and we can do a little better than we did tonight."
Coug Notes
- Charlisse Leger-Walker's 40 points scored against Washington is the second-most by a WSU player in a single game in program history, only second to Jenni Ruff's 41 points vs. California back on Feb. 24, 1996.
- Leger-Walker is the first Pac-12 player to score 40-plus points this season, while she is the first Pac-12 player to score 40 points in a game since Arizona's Aari McDonald's 44-point outing at Texas on Nov. 17, 2019.
- Leger-Walker becomes the 27th Pac-12 Player to ever score 40-plus points in a game.
- Leger-Walker extends her double-digit scoring streak to 10 games dating back to last season.
- Tonight marks Leger-Walker's 55th career game at WSU with double-digit points.
- Washington State snaps its four-game winning streak against Washington.
- The Cougars are now 28-75 all-time against the Huskies.
- Senior Bella Murekatete extends her double-digit scoring streak to five games with a 10-point outing.
Up Next
The Cougars will take the next six days off while student-athletes spend time taking their finals. The Cougars return to action next Saturday, Dec. 17, when Jackson State comes to Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off against JSU is set for 1 p.m. PT.
Follow Us
For more information on the Washington State women's basketball team, follow @WSUCougarWBB on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
