PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State women''s basketball (18-9, 8-8 Pac-12) owned a 20-2 advantage in points off turnovers and led for nearly 38 minutes as it defeated Oregon State (11-16, 3-13 Pac-12), 67-57, Sunday afternoon in Beasley Coliseum. With the win, Washington State finishes the season 9-5 inside Beasley Coliseum to give it a third-consecutive winning record at home.
Washington State again established its defense from the opening tip, holding Oregon State to just 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) shooting from the floor in the first quarter. The Cougs went on a 6-0 run to take an early 10-5 lead, holding Oregon State scoreless for over two and half minutes midway through the first. Washington State later held the Beavs scoreless over the final three minutes of the first, building a seven-point lead by the end of the opening frame.
After knocking down just a single three in the first quarter, Washington State heated up from behind the arc with a 4-of-10 second quarter from deep. The long-range offense included back-to-back treys out of a media timeout to put Washington State ahead by a dozen, its largest lead of the opening half, late in the second quarter.
The Beavs closed the opening half on a 6-0 run over the final 90 seconds and eventually worked their way back within a single possession in the third quarter. Bella Murekatete pushed the Cougs' lead back to four on a layup that sparked a 9-0 Washington State run.
WSU failed to hit a three in the fourth quarter but knocked down timely free throws to close out its eighth-double digit win of the season at home. The Cougs finished the game 25-of-67 (37 percent) overall from the field but owned a 13-11 advantage on the offensive glass and a 34-28 edge in points in the paint.
"Senior Day can sometimes catch you off guard because you're so emotional that you can occasionally fall victim to the moment. It was a special day and I'm just very happy for our team to go out and get this win. All three chose us, I think, because of the vision we wanted for them. We needed such solid people that are high-character with a good work ethic. (The 2023 Senior Class) were committed to us. They committed to our vision, not anything that we had done. They walked into a situation that was hard their first couple of years. They saw some maybe spotty leadership their first couple of years and did not buy into that. These three seniors deserve so much credit for what we've become."
Coug Notes
- The win for Washington State improved the Cougars' overall record to 18-9 which ties the 1990-91 season for the second-most wins in program history.
- Washington State recognized seniors Ula Motuga,
Grace Sarver and Emma Nannervis prior to opening tip-off. Following Sunday's win, this year's senior class has now been a part of 63 total wins at WSU which makes it the winningest class in program history.
- The win was the 62nd-career win for senior Ula Motuga, making her the winningest student-athlete in WSU history.
- Motuga finished with seven points, two blocks, and a team-leading four steals to go along with five boards.
- Motuga pulled in a team-leading three offensive rebounds on the afternoon and strong post play to help the Cougs finish with a 34-28 edge in points in the paint.
- Motuga's three boards moved her into eighth all-time in WSU history in career rebounds (651).
- Grace Sarver came off of the bench early in the fourth quarter as she made her team-high 95
th-consecutive appearance for the Cougs.
- Bella Murekatete led the Cougars in scoring for a third-consecutive game and the 10th time this season, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-14 (.571) shooting from the field.
- Murekatete's 19 points gave her the 67th double-digit scoring effort of her career and the 21st of the season.
- Charlisse Leger-Walker finished with 15 points, the 67
th double-digit scoring night of her career and her 21st on the season.
- Leger-Walker also dished out a team-leading six assists, her 15th time leading the Cougs in assists this season and the 30th time in her career.
Up Next
Washington State will head to Los Angeles next weekend for a top-25 road trip to close out the Pac-12 regular season. The Cougars will travel to 16th-ranked UCLA on Fri., Feb. 23, for a 6 p.m. tip-off before closing the regular season Sun., Feb. 25, on the road at No. 25/RV Southern Cal at noon.
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