PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team looks to even up the Boeing Apple Cup Series this Sunday, Jan. 8, as the Cougars host Washington. Tip-off against the rival Huskies is set for 12 p.m. PT and will air live on the Pac-12 Network Washington.
WASHINGTON STATE (10-4, 0-3 Pac-12) vs. Washington (9-4, 1-2 Pac-12) | Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. PT | Beasley Coliseum
Live Stats | Click Here
Watch | Pac-12 Network Washington (Elise Woodward and Alyssa Charlston)
Listen | Click Here (Steve Grubbs)
Game Notes | Click Here
Starting Five
>> The Cougars come into Sunday's matchup against Washington looking to snap a two-game losing streak, as Washington State suffered back-to-back home losses to No. 8 Utah (71-66) and Colorado (65-54) last weekend. WSU holds a 10-4 record overall, while the Cougars are 0-3 in Pac-12 Conference play.
>> Washington State will be looking to even up the season series against Washington, as the Huskies defeated the Cougars 82-66 back on Dec. 11 in Seattle. Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker scored a career-high 40 points against the Huskies that afternoon, which was one point shy of tying Jenni Ruff's school record of 41 points. Leger-Walker is one of nine players in all of NCAA Division I to score 40 or more points in a game this season.
>> Despite losing to the Huskies earlier this season in Seattle, Washington State has won five of the last six meetings between the two schools. Sunday's game will be the 104th matchup between the Cougs and Huskies. Washington leads the all-time series 75-28.
>> The Cougars have enjoyed an ample amount of success against the Huskies under Head Coach Kamie Ethridge, as WSU is 7-2 against Washington in the Ethridge Era. The Cougs have been the aggressor in the Boeing Apple Cup Series over the last six seasons, as Washington State has won eight of the last 11 games against Washington.
>> Washington State has been one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation this season, as the Cougars enter the weekend ranking the 82nd in NCAA Division I in 3-point field goals per game at 7.3 Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker's 3.0 3-pointers per game ranks 12th in all of NCAA Division I. Washington State has made a 3-point field goal in 77-straight games, a streak that dates back to the 2019-20 season.
Game Coverage
Sunday's game will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network Washington with Elise Woodward and Alyssa Charlston on the call. Fans can also listen to Steve Grubbs call all the action locally on 1150 AM or on WSUCougars.com.
Rally Towel and Pom Pom Giveaway
Washington State Athletics will be giving out rally towels and pom poms to the first 200 fans in attendance at Sunday's Boeing Apple Cup Series game. Fans can purchase tickets to Sunday's Boeing Apple Cup Series game by clicking the link here.
Closing the Homestand
Washington State wraps up its longest homestand of the 2022-23 season this Sunday, as the matchup against the Huskies will be the third-straight game at Beasley Coliseum for the Cougars. WSU is currently 0-2 during its extended stay at home with losses to No. 8 Utah and Colorado. Despite the current set of losses, the Cougars are 18-4 over their last 22 home games.
Sending it Back
The Cougars have been one of the best shot-blocking teams in the nation this season, as WSU's 5.0 blocks per game is the 24th-best average in NCAA Division I. Senior Bella Murekatete and sophomore Tara Wallack pace the Cougs in blocks, as each player has swatted 20 shots this season. If WSU were to maintain its current pace of 5.0 blocks per game, it would set a school record for the highest blocks per game average in a single season.
Leading the Pac-12
Despite missing the last two games, junior Charlisse Leger-Walker heads into this weekend's set of Pac-12 games as the Conference's leading scorer at 21.1 points per game. Leger-Walker has played in only one Pac-12 game this season, but it was an impressive one, as the guard from New Zealand scored 40 points at Washington on Dec. 11. Leger-Walker is one of two Pac-12 players to score 40-or-more points in a game this season.
Coming Into Her Own
There has been no sophomore slump for Tara Wallack in her second season with the Cougs. The 6-2 guard from South Surrey, British Columbia has seen her scoring average double in 2022-23, as Wallack is averaging 10.7 points per game this season. Wallack has scored double-digit points in three of her last four games, while she has recorded 10 or more points in eight games this season.
Scouting the Huskies
Like the Cougars, Washington comes into the weekend on a two-game losing streak after dropping back-to-back home games against Colorado (64-56) and No. 8 Utah (61-53). The Huskies sport a 9-4 record overall, while they are 1-2 in Pac-12 play.
Sophomore Dalayah Daniels paces the Huskies with her 11.8 points per game scoring average. Daniels, who is the lone Washington player to average double-digit points this season, recorded a double-double against the Cougars back on Dec. 11 in Seattle with a 12-point, 10-rebound effort. The 6-4 post player also leads the Huskies in rebounds at 6.9 caroms per contest. Senior Haley Van Dyke is second on the team in scoring at 9.1 points per game, while junior Lauren Schwartz puts up 8.1 points per contest. Schwartz scored a team-high 21 points against Washington State earlier this season.
Washington is averaging 65.1 points per game while shooting 41.3 percent from the floor. The Huskies are shooting 22.9 percent from behind the arc but shot a season-best 47.1 percent on 3-pointers against the Cougars in Seattle back on Dec 11. Teams are putting up 56.9 points per game, while Washington is allowing teams to shoot 36.2 percent from behind the arc.
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