PULLMAN, Wash. (November 9, 2023) – Senior guard
Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 22 of her 26 points in the second half and overtime to lead No. 24 Washington State past visiting Gonzaga 77-72 in overtime at Beasley Coliseum Thursday. In the 32 previous meetings between the two programs, Thursday was the first that went into overtime.
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Prior to the game, WSU handed out their rings and raised their 2023 Pac-12 Championship banner.
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Leger-Walker went 9-for-9 at the free throw line, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists while guard
Astera Tuhina matched a career-high with 15 points, freshman guard
Eleonora Villa added 12 points and graduate transfer forward
Beyonce Bea grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.
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The Cougars (2-0) held Gonzaga (1-1) to seven points in the second quarter but the Bulldogs erased a double-digit deficit with a 24-point fourth quarter, hitting a straight away three at the end of regulation buzzer to send the game into overtime. Â
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In the extra period, Tuhina hit a three from straight away to give WSU a four-point lead with 2:48 remaining and a driving layup from Bea the next trip down made it a three-point Cougar lead with just over two minutes remaining. The WSU defense locked in the final possessions, forcing a miss, Leger-Walker later made a steal and Bea grabbed a huge defensive rebound with 10 seconds to seal things up.
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INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Charlisse Leger-Walker
- Recorded her 35
th career 20-point game, pushed her career point total to 1,497, passing Marcia Miles and Angie Miller for seventh on the all-time scoring listÂ
Bella Murekatete
- Made career start No. 111, passing Katie Appleton for 4
th-most starts in WSU historyÂ
Astera Tuhina
- Matched career-highs in points (15) and field goals (6), 8
th career double-digit scoring effortÂ
Beyonce Bea
- Recorded her 31
st career double-digit rebound game, pushed career rebound total to 906
- Pushed career point total to 1,955, appeared in her 118
th career gameÂ
UP NEXT
WSU will close out its season-opening three-game homestand Sunday against Idaho State at 2:30 p.m.
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