EUGENE, Ore. – It took an extra stanza to complete, but the Washington State women's basketball team walked out of Matthew Knight Arena with an 85-84 overtime victory over No. 21/18-ranked Oregon Sunday, Jan. 15, to pick up the program's first road win over a ranked Pac-12 Conference opponent since the 1997-98 season.
The Cougars had five players score double-digit points in the victory, led by senior Bella Murekatete who scored 20 points while shooting 62.5 percent from the floor. Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker tallied 17 points in the victory, while senior Johanna Teder chipped in 15 points. Fifth-year senior Ula Motuga and junior Jessica Clarke each had 14 points in the win. The 14-point outing for Clarke marks a career-high in points for the 6-4 post player, while Motuga pulled 10 rebounds to collect her first double-double of the season.
With the win, Washington State extends its winning streak to three games, improving the Cougars' overall record to 13-4. WSU also evens up its Pac-12 Conference record with the victory, as the Cougs are now 3-3 in league games. It marks the first time since Jan. 1, 2017, that Washington State has defeated the Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena, while the win snaps an eight-game losing streak to the Ducks.
The win at No. 21/18 Oregon marks the first time that the Cougars have defeated a ranked team on the road since Nov. 30, 2013 when Washington State won at No. 10 Nebraska. It is also the first time since WSU's win at No. 10 Arizona back on Jan. 8, 1998 that the Cougs have defeated a ranked Pac-12 team on the road.
Washington State held a 14-point lead with 4:16 remaining in the game, but Oregon was able to pull even with the Cougars at the end of regulation after hitting a pair of free throws with 0.1 left in the fourth quarter to make it 76-76.
The Cougars responded in overtime, as Clarke scored six of WSU's first eight points to give Washington State an 84-81 lead with 1:21 left to play in the game. The two teams traded blows defensively over the next few possessions until a Leger-Walker free throw put Wazzu up by four points at 85-81 with 25 seconds left to play. Oregon would hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to make it a one-point game at 85-84.
Washington State would turnover the ball on the ensuing inbounds pass setting up Oregon for a potential game-winner. The Cougars played lockdown defense on its last possession, as the Ducks' final shot clanked off the rim to give WSU its first win against Oregon under head coach Kamie Ethridge.
There were four lead changes and five ties in Sunday's contest. The Cougars led for 26:52 of game time, as WSU opened the game on a 7-0 run. The Ducks took the lead midway through the second quarter and held a nine-point lead at halftime at 38-29. Oregon pushed its advantage to 10 points at 43-33 with six minutes left to play in the third. Washington State went on a 13-2 run from that point to pull even with No. 21/18 Oregon at 48-48 after a Clarke layup with 52 seconds left in the quarter.
Oregon took a 51-50 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Cougars opened up the fourth with a 3-pointer from Teder to take a 53-51 advantage. Teder's 3-pointer sparked another 21-6 spurt for the Cougs to give them a game-high 14-point lead at 71-57 with 4:16 left in the fourth.
WSU Head Coach Kamie Ethridge on the Win
"I can't even express how happy and excited I am for this team. I told the team before the game that it feels different with our team, with how they respond to adversity this season. To play so well against a tremendous Oregon was great for us. We played so well in the first quarter, then we laid an egg in the second quarter, then get back into in the third and took a lead and built on it in the fourth. We messed up plenty in the fourth to allow them to get back into it. The team showed a lot of majority and poise and it makes us really proud."
Coug Notes
- Washington State extends its winning streak to three games with the win over Oregon.
- Today's victory marks the first time since Nov. 30, 2013, when the Cougars defeated No. 10 Nebraska 76-72 in Lincoln.
- It is also the program's first win over a ranked Pac-12 on the road since Jan. 8, 1998 when WSU won at No. 10 Arizona.
- The Cougars have now defeated a ranked team in each of the last three seasons.
- Coach Ethridge has collected five wins against ranked teams during her tenure at Washington State.
- Senior Bella Murekatete registered 20 points in a game for the fifth time this season and for the sixth time in her career.
- Washington State had five players score double-digit points in a game for the second time this season.
- WSU snaps an eight-game losing streak to the Ducks, as Washington State picks up its first win over Oregon since beating the Ducks 75-59 on Jan. 1, 2017, in Pullman.
- The Cougars collect their first win inside Matthew Knight Arena since Jan. 18, 2015.
- Washington State is now 20-72 all-time against Oregon.
- Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker extends her double-digit scoring streak to 16 games with a 17-point performance against the Ducks.
- Junior Jessica Clarke's 14-point performance sets a new career high in points for the post player.
Up Next
Washington State returns to Beasley Coliseum Jan. 20 to face-off against Southern California. Tip-off against the Trojans is set for 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks.
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