PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team rings in the New Year this Sunday, Jan. 1, as the Cougars host Colorado at Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off against the Buffaloes is set for 4 p.m. PT and will air live on Pac-12 Network Mountain.
WASHINGTON STATE (10-3, 0-2 Pac-12) vs. Colorado (11-3, 1-1 Pac-12) | Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 | 4:00 p.m. PT | Beasley Coliseum
Live Stats | Click Here
Watch | Pac-12 Network Mountain (Greg Heister and Stephaine Freeman)
Listen | Click Here (Steve Grubbs)
Game Notes | Click Here
Starting Five
>> Washington State continues its current three-game homestand this Sunday when the Cougars welcome in Colorado. WSU opened the homestand this past Friday with a 71-66 loss to Utah. Senior
Bella Murekatete scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against the Utes to post her fifth double-double of the season.
>> WSU enters Sunday's matchup at 10-3 overall and 0-2 in Pac-12 Conference play. The Cougars will be searching for their sixth win of the season at Beasley Coliseum, as Washington State has won eight of its last nine home games. The Cougars are 16-3 inside Beasley Coliseum since the start of the 2021-22 season.
>> Sunday's matchup will be the 22nd meeting between Washington State and Colorado. The Cougars currently lead the all-time series 13-8 and have won three of the last four meetings between the two schools. WSU is 8-2 against the Buffaloes in Pullman, with the last victory coming on Feb. 7, 2020, with a 69-59 win over Colorado.
>> Senior Bella Murekatete recorded her fifth double-double of the season in Friday's loss against Utah. The 6-3 center from Rwanda scored a game-best 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Her five double-doubles are the third-most collected by a Pac-12 player this season, while her 10 career double-doubles tie her for 10th-most in WSU history with Penny Bowden (1987-88), Bianca McCall (2003-04), and Jazmine Perkins (2009-12).
>> Washington State Women's Basketball Head Coach Kamie Ethridge has collected 61 wins at WSU, as she is 13 games into her fifth season at the helm. Ethridge only needs one more win to pass Sue Durrant for the program record for most wins by a WSU women's basketball coach through their first five seasons.
Game Coverage
Fans can watch all the action between the Cougars and the Buffaloes on Pac-12 Network Mountain. Sunday's game will also air locally on the radio at 1150 AM and at WSUCougars.com.
Sending it Back
The Cougars have been elite in shot blocking this season, as Washington State ranks 14th in NCAA Division I in blocks per game at 5.2. That average is third-best in the Pac-12. Senior Bella Murekatete and sophomore Tara Wallack lead the Cougs at 1.5 swats per game, which is the 75th-best shot-blocking average in the nation.
Ula's Scoring Streak
Fifth-year senior Ula Motuga comes into Sunday's game against Colorado looking to extend her double-digit scoring to four games. Motuga is coming off an 11-point performance against Utah. The 6-1 forward is averaging 12.3 points per game during the stretch.
Knocking Shots from Deep
The Cougars are averaging 7.4 3-point makes per game this season. That average is the 76th-best in the country. Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker's 3.0 3-pointers per game ranks 12th in NCAA Division I. Washington State has made at least one 3-point field goal in each of its last 76 games.
Scouting the Utes
Colorado comes into Beasley Coliseum fresh off a 64-56 win at Washington this past Friday. The Buffaloes hold an 11-3 record overall and are 1-1 in Pac-12 play. Colorado has won three-straight games coming into Sunday's contest against Washington State.
Senior Quay Miller, who was the Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year last season, is leading Colorado in both scoring and rebounding this season, as the 6-3 center is averaging 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Miller has scored double-digits in seven of her last eight games and is shooting 54.4 percent from the floor. Junior Frida Formann follows Miller at 11.2 points per game and is hitting a team-best 27 shots from behind the 3-point line. Junior Aaronette Vonleh rounds out the double-digit scoring for Colorado, as the 6-3 post player is averaging 10.6 points per game.
Colorado is averaging 73.1 points per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor. Teams are putting up 55.0 points per contest against the Buffaloes, as the opposition is shooting 35.6 percent from the field.
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