TEMPE, Ariz. – The Washington State women's basketball team hit clutch free throws down the stretch and got a double-double from sophomore Tara Wallack in a 61-57 win at Arizona State, Friday, Jan. 27. The win marks WSU's first win in Tempe since the 2012-13 season.
The four-point win for the Cougars marks the program's first victory at Desert Financial Arena since Feb. 1, 2013, when Washington State collected a 54-43 win over the Sun Devils. It is also Washington State's second-straight win over Arizona State, marking the first time in nearly a decade that the Cougars have strung two consecutive victories together against ASU.
Washington State improves to 14-6 overall with the win, while the Cougars are 4-5 in Pac-12 Conference games. Tonight's win also gives WSU a winning record on the road for the season, as the Cougars are now 7-1. It marks the first time since the 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons that Washington State has recorded a winning record on the road in consecutive seasons.
Wallack led the charge for the Cougs, scoring 15 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. It is Wallack's first double-double of her Washington State career, while she is the third WSU player to record a double-double this season, joining fifth-year senior Ula Motuga and senior Bella Murekatete. The 6-2 guard from South Surrey, Canada shot 50 percent against the Sun Devils, connecting on 4-of-8 from the floor. Wallack was also clutch down the stretch, as she hit 3-of-4 free throws and recorded a block during the final 17 seconds of play to help secure the win for WSU.
Wallack was one of three Cougs to score double-digit points, as senior Johanna Teder and junior Charlisse Leger-Walker each tallied 12 points in the victory. It was a memorable night for both Teder and Leger-Walker, as Teder moved into ninth on WSU's all-time 3-pointers made list. Meanwhile, Leger-Walker extends her double-digit scoring streak to 17 games, which is tied with Lia Galdeira for the ninth-longest consecutive double-digit scoring streak in program history. It was also Leger-Walker's first game with the Cougars since their win at Oregon back on Jan. 15, as she missed the last two games due to a personal family matter.
The Cougars were able to overcome a 20-turnover performance against the Sun Devils thanks in large part to WSU's 3-point shooting. Washington State drilled eight 3-point field goals while limiting Arizona State to just one 3-pointer all night. Teder connected on four 3-pointers to tie her season high in 3-point field goal makes, while Leger-Walker and Wallack each hit two triples.
Washington State opened the game hot from behind the arc, as the Cougars drilled four 3-point field goals over the first 10 minutes of play to take a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. WSU was able to extend its lead to double-digits in the second quarter after a Wallack layup gave the Cougs a 24-12 lead with 5:27 left before half.
WSU took a nine-point lead into the break at 28-19 and expanded the lead to a game-high 11-point advantage at 38-27 after a Leger-Walker sank a 3-pointer with 6:43 left in the third quarter. Arizona State chipped away at the Coug lead for the remainder of the frame, as the Sun Devils pulled to within two points at 43-41 heading into the fourth.
Washington State took a five-point lead at 54-49 with 5:30 left to play after a Motuga putback. That would be the final field goal WSU would hit in the game, as Arizona State took its first lead of the game at 55-54 with 3:51 left to play. Despite the cool shooting from the floor, Washington State was able to maintain its confidence at the free throw line, drilling six of its final seven shots from the charity line to reclaim a 61-57 lead with 15 seconds left to play. The Cougar defense stood tall in the closing seconds to help Washington State claim its first win in Tempe in nearly a decade.
WSU Head Coach Kamie Ethridge on the Win
"I love that we got a win here. It's been a long time since this program has won down here. I want to give a shout out to Charli Turner Thorne because she is the reason why we haven't won here in so long. It's a statement about how good of a program ASU has and how hard it is to come in here and win. Natasha is doing a great job here and she is going to do the same thing. It was a great game and we were lucky that we came out on top."
Coug Notes
- Washington State snaps a six-game losing streak at Arizona State with the win.
- WSU secures a winning record on the road this season and move to 7-1 in true road games this year. It marks the first time in the NCAA Era, and the first time in 44 years, that the Cougars have had a winning road record in consecutive seasons.
- The Cougars held a Pac-12 opponent under 60 points for the eighth time in the Kamie Ethridge Era. WSU is 6-2 in those contests.
- WSU improves to 24-5 all-time when Johanna Teder scores double-digit points.
- The Cougars are now 9-2 on the year when Tara Wallack scores double figures.
- Wallack's 11 rebounds tie her career-best in caroms, which was set back on Dec. 11 of this season at Washington.
- Wallack's 15-point performance marks the 15th time she has scored double-digit points in a game.
- Charlisse Leger-Walker collects her 62nd career game at WSU scoring double figures.
- Johanna Teder records her 29th career game with double-digit points as a Coug.
Up Next
Washington State now heads south for a matchup at No. 19/14 Arizona this Sunday, Jan. 29. Tip-off from the McKale Center is set for 11 a.m. PT and will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network Arizona.
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