PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team looks to stay hot in Pac-12 Conference play, as the Cougars take on Southern California (RV) this Friday, Jan. 20, to kick off a two-game weekend homestand at Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off against the Trojans is set for 7 p.m. PT and will air live on the Pac-12 Network Washington.
WASHINGTON STATE (13-4, 3-3 Pac-12) vs. Southern California (RV) (13-4, 3-3 Pac-12) | Friday, Jan. 20, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. PT | Beasley Coliseum
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Watch | Pac-12 Network Washington (Greg Heister and Stephanie Hawk Freeman)
Listen | Click Here (Steve Grubbs)
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Starting Five
>> Washington State comes into this week's slate of Pac-12 games fresh off a road sweep of the Oregon schools last weekend. The Cougars first knocked off the Beavers at Gill Coliseum, 63-56, to open the trip, then capped off the excursion with an 85-84 win at No. 21/18 Oregon. It marked the first time since the 2011-12 season that the Cougars have swept their trip through the Beaver State.
>> The back-to-back road victories extended Washington State's winning streak to three, as the Cougars now stand at 13-4 overall this season and 3-3 in Pac-12 Conference action. It marks the third time this season that WSU has strung together a winning streak of three games or better. If the Cougs were to collect a win on Friday against the Trojans, that would push WSU's winning streak to four games, matching this season's longest stretch of consecutive victories.
>> Washington State is off to one of its best starts to a season in program history, as the Cougars stand at 13-4 overall through 17 games this season. WSU's 13-4 record is tied with the 1995-96 squad for the best game start to a season through 17 games in program history.
>> This Friday's matchup against Southern California will mark the 76th all-time meeting between the Cougars and Trojans. USC leads the series 55-20, though Washington State has won each of the last two games against Southern Cal. WSU will be seeking to win three-straight games against USC since winning four-consecutive games against the Trojans from 2013-16.
>> The Cougars have been tough to beat at Beasley Court over the last couple of seasons, as Washington State is 17-4 at home since the start of the 2021-22 season. The Cougars have been even better at Beasley of last, as WSU has won 10 of its last 12 home games.
Game Coverage
Friday's game between Washington State and Southern California will be broadcast live from Beasley on Pac-12 Network Washington with Greg Heister and Stephanie Hawk Freeman on the call. Fans can also listen to Steve Grubbs call all the action locally on 1150 AM or anywhere on WSUCougars.com.
Ula's Racking Up the Playing Time
Fifth-year senior Ula Motuga enters the weekend sitting inside the program's top 10 in both minutes played and career starts. Motuga's 3,349 career minutes is the fifth-most in program history, while her 97 career starts rank 10th in Washington State women's basketball history.
Sharing The Wealth
For the second time this season, Washington State had five players score double-digits, as five Cougars scored 10 or more points in Sunday's 85-84 overtime win at No. 21/18 Oregon. The last time WSU had five players reach double-digit points in the same game happened against Troy earlier this season back on Nov. 21 in Hawai'i.
Moving Up the Block List
Senior Bella Murekatete needs only four more blocks to move past Maria Kostourkova (2015-19) for fourth on WSU's all-time block list. Murekatete currently has 132 career blocks, while her career 1.3 blocks per game average are third-best in program history.
NET Ranking
Washington State heads into Friday's game with a NET ranking of 42. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Selection Committee to help determine at-large bids and tournament seeding.
Collecting the Double-Doubles
Fifth-year senior Ula Motuga's double-double collected at No. 21/18 Oregon on Jan. 15 marked the fifth time in her WSU career that Motuga has posted a double-double. Her five career double-doubles tie her with four other Cougars, including Bella Murekatete, for the 19th most double-doubles in WSU women's basketball history.
The Teder Effect
Washington State is 23-4 all-time when Teder scores 10 or more points in a contest.
Scouting the Trojans
Southern California comes into the weekend receiving votes in both the Associate Press Poll and WBCA/USA Today Coaches Poll after the Trojans upset No. 2 Stanford, 55-46, at home this past Sunday. USC holds an overall record of 13-4, while Southern Cal is 3-3 in Pac-12 games.
Grad student Kadi Sissoko leads the Trojans in scoring at 15.3 points per game, though she has not appeared in a contest since Dec. 30. Sophomore Rayah Marshall's 14.3 points per contest is second on the team, while her 10.3 rebounds per game paces the Trojans. Grad student Destiny Littleton, who is the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, rounds out USC's trio of double-digit scorers at 12.4 points per game.
USC is averaging 66.7 points per game this season while shooting 39.8 percent from the floor. The Trojans are also connecting on 33.6 percent of their shot attempts from behind the arc. Teams are averaging 51.7 points per contest against Southern California, while USC is holding opponents to 33.2 percent from the floor and 23.6 percent on 3-point attempts.
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