EUGENE, Ore. – The Washington State women's basketball team concludes its two-game weekend road trip through the Willamette Valley this Sunday, Jan. 15, as the Cougars take on No. 21/18-ranked Oregon. Tip-off against the Ducks is set for 12 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network Oregon.
WASHINGTON STATE (12-4, 2-3 Pac-12) at No. 21/18 Oregon (13-4, 4-2 Pac-12) | Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. PT | Matthew Knight Arena
Live Stats | Click Here
Watch | Pac-12 Network Oregon (Ann Schatz and Anthony Levrets)
Listen | Click Here (Steve Grubbs)
Game Notes | Click Here
Starting Five
>> Washington State heads into Eugene on a two-game winning streak that has seen the Cougars improve their overall record to 12-4 on the year and 2-3 in Pac-12 Conference play. This season's 12-4 marks the best 16-game start for the Cougars since the 1995-96 season.
>> The Cougars and the Ducks will match up for the 92nd time. It is the third longest-standing rivalry for the Cougs, trailing the series against Washington and Oregon State. Oregon leads the series 72-19 and has won each of the last eight meetings. The last time WSU defeated the Ducks came back on Jan. 1, 2017, in Pullman where the Cougars picked up the 75-59 win. Washington State's last win at Matthew Knight Arena came in 2015 when Washington State scored a 79-76 win.
>> Sunday's matchup against No. 21/18 Oregon will mark the second time this season Washington State will play a top-25 opponent. The Cougars fell to No. 11/11 Utah, 71-66, a couple of weeks ago in Beasley Coliseum. WSU has picked up four wins against top-25 teams since the start of the 2020-21 season. The last Cougar victory over a ranked foe came back on Feb. 20, 2022, when Washington State knocked off No. 8/7 Arizona, 72-67, on Senior Day.
>> The Cougars have been road warriors this season, as WSU is 5-1 in true road games. Washington State heads into Sunday's matchup against the Ducks having won three-straight road games. It marks the second-straight season that Washington State has had a three-game winning streak on the road.
>> Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker flirted with a triple-double in Friday's win at Oregon State, as the guard from New Zealand registered 14 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Leger-Walker also added four steals to her ledger, making her the second Coug on record to have at least 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and four steals in a game. Chanelle Molina accomplished the feat against California back on Jan. 5, 2020.
Game Coverage
Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network Oregon, with Ann Schatz and Anthony Leverts on the call. Fans can listen to Steve Grubbs call all the action locally on 1150 AM or anywhere on WSUCougars.com.
Bringing the Defense
Washington State held a Pac-12 opponent under 60 points for the sixth time under head coach Kamie Ethridge. The Cougars are 5-1 under Ethridge when they hold a foe to under 60 points. WSU is giving up 59.8 points per game this season, which is the 91st-best scoring defense in NCAA Division I. The Cougs also ranks 79th nationally in defensive field goal percentage, as WSU is allowing teams to shoot just 37.5 percent from the floor.
The Teder Effect
Senior Johanna Teder scored 12 points in the win at Oregon State. Washington State is 22-4 all-time when Teder scores 10 or more points in a contest.
A Group Effort
Washington State had four players register double-digit points in Friday's win against the Beavers. It marks the ninth time this season that WSU had had four or more players score double figures. Washington State is 9-0 in those contests.
NET Ranking
Washington State heads into Sunday's game at No. 21/18 Oregon with a NET ranking of 44. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Selection Committee to help determine at-large bids and tournament seeding.
Extending Her Scoring Streak
Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker extended her double-digit scoring streak to a team-best 15 games with a 14-point performance against Oregon State. Leger-Walker has scored double-digit points in all 14 games she has played this season. Her 20.9 points per game average lead the Pac-12 Conference, while she has been even better in Pac-12 games, as she leads the league with 26.7 points per game average in Conference games. Leger-Walker's scoring average in Pac-12 games is a full six points better than second place.
An Effective Starting Lineup
Washington State is 12-2 this season when starting the combination of Charlisse Leger-Walker, Johanna Teder, Ula Motuga, Tara Wallack, and Bella Murekatete.
Scouting the Ducks
Oregon comes into Sunday's matchup ranked in both national polls. The Ducks are No. 21 in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll, while they are No. 18 in the WBCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. Oregon is 13-4 overall on the year and is 4-2 in Pac-12 games. The Ducks have won three of their last four games and picked up a 65-58 win at home against Washington this past Friday. Oregon enters Sunday's game with a NET ranking of 10.
Freshman Grace VanSlooten leads the Ducks in scoring at 15.5 points per game. The 6-3 post player is shooting 52.3 percent from the floor this season and has scored double-digits in each of her last three games. Senior Endyia Rogers is just behind VanSlooten at 14.9 points per game, while junior Te-Hina Paopao follows Rogers at 12.9 points per contest. Oregon also has four other players on the roster averaging between 7.0-9.7 points per game.
The Ducks are averaging 80.6 points per contest this season, while the Ducks are shooting 46.4 percent from the field. Oregon is also knocking down 37.7 percent of its shots from behind the arc. Defensively, Oregon is giving up 61.4 points per game. Teams are shooting 37.1 percent from the floor and 31.1 on 3-point shots.
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