CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Washington State women's basketball team used a balanced effort to defeat Oregon State 63-56 in Pac-12 Conference action to collect back-to-back wins at Gill Coliseum for the first time in 47 years.

WSU had four players score double-digit points in the victory, led by sophomore Tara Wallack who scored a game-high 17 points. Wallack shot a blistering 77.8 percent from the floor, as the 6-2 guard went 7-of-9 from the field. Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker flirted with a triple-double, as the Waikato, New Zealand native registered 14 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Senior Johanna Teder chipped in 12 points, while senior Bella Murekatete added 10 points in the win.

Tonight's win, coupled with the 77-75 double-overtime win in Washington State's last trip to Corvallis during the 2020-21 season, gives the Cougars back-to-back wins in Gill Coliseum for the first time since the 1974-75, 1975-76 campaigns. Washington State has now won four-straight games against Oregon State, marking the first time since 1975-78 that the Cougs have won four-consecutive games against the Beavers.

The Cougars shot 42.4 percent from the floor as a team in the win at Oregon State. Washington State has now posted a shooting percentage better than 40 percent in each of its last seven contests. WSU was just as impressive on the defensive end, as the Cougars held the Beavers to 36.7 percent from the floor marking the fifth time over the last seven games that Washington State has held a team under 40 percent.

With the win, WSU improves to 12-4 on the year and 2-3 in Pac-12 play. Washington State attacked Oregon State's taller post throughout the night, as the Cougars outscored OSU 36-24 in points in the paint. WSU also didn't hurt itself in the turnover department, committing a season-low six turnovers in the victory.

WSU got off to a slow start against the Beavers, as Oregon State jumped out to a nine-point lead at 12-3 at the 4:45 mark of the opening quarter. Washington State would recover quickly, as the Cougars chipped away at the Beaver lead and pulled within two points at 16-14 to close out the first quarter.

The Beavers would keep the Cougars at arms-length through the majority of the second stanza as they took a 32-29 lead over WSU into halftime. Washington State came out of the locker room and opened the third quarter on an 8-1 run to give the Cougs a 33-32 lead with 7:14 remaining in the stanza.The two teams traded buckets for the remainder of the third, as a Wallack layup closed out the frame with WSU clinging to a 46-45 advantage.

Washington State opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to give the Cougars a double-digit lead at 57-45 after Leger-Walker drained a 3-pointer from top of the key with 6:31 left to play in the game. Washington State was able to maintain its double-digit advantage until the closing seconds of the game when Oregon State hit a 3-pointer on its final possession, as the Cougars walked out of Gill Coliseum with a seven-point win.

WSU Head Coach Kamie Ethridge on the Win
"I love that we made some program history tonight. We had an alum at the game, so it's great to hear stories from their time here. I have so much respect for Scott and the Oregon State program and how good they've been for so long. They are a program that we aspire to be like. What they are doing with their fan base and the excitement they have in this gym is amazing. It feels good to beat a quality team. Our rebounding and defensive effort carried over our last game, and not turning the ball over was great to see. The offense was spread out and a lot of people stepped up and were ready to play when their number was called."

Coug Notes
- Washington State is now 4-4 against Oregon State in the Kamie Ethridge era.
- The win marks the first time in the NCAA Era (Post-1982) that the Cougars have won back-to-back games at Gill Coliseum.
- Charlisse Leger-Walker extends her double-digit scoring streak to 15 games with her 14-point performance.
- Leger-Walker's eight assists is a season-best for the guard, while it was two assists shy of her career-high, set back on Jan. 1, 2021 at Colorado.
- Tara Wallack records her 13th double-digit scoring performance of the year with a 17-point effort. She also led the Cougars in scoring for the second time this season.
- Bella Murekatete posted her 43rd career game at WSU with double-digit points by scoring 10 points in the win over Oregon State.
- Johanna Teder scored double-digit points for the first time in a Pac-12 game this season with a 12-point effort against the Beavers.

Up Next
Washington State will now head to Eugene to face the Ducks this Sunday, Jan. 15. Tip-off against No. 21/18-ranked Oregon is set for 12 p.m. PT and will air live on the Pac-12 Network Oregon.

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