LOS ANGELES – The Washington State women's basketball team looks to cap off a historic 2022-23 regular season this Saturday, Feb. 25, as the Cougars head to downtown Los Angeles to take on Southern California. Tip-off against the Trojans is set for 12 p.m. PT and will air live on Pac-12 Network Washington.
WASHINGTON STATE (19-9, 9-8 Pac-12) at Southern California (RV) (20-8, 10-7 Pac-12) | Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. PT | Galen Center
Live Stats | Click Here
Watch | Pac-12 Network Washington (Tracy Warren and Tammy Blackburn)
Listen | Click Here (Steve Grubbs)
Game Notes | Click Here
Starting Five
>> The Cougars come into the regular season fresh off a 62-55 win at No. 17/16-ranked UCLA, as Washington State posted its first win ever inside Pauley Pavilion. WSU enters Saturday's matchup against the Trojans with a 19-9 record overall, while the Cougs are 9-8 in Pac-12 Conference play.
>> Washington State's 19 wins this season ties this year's bunch of Cougs with the 2021-22 squad for the most wins in a single season in the NCAA era (post-1982). WSU will be seeking its first-ever 20-win season in the NCAA era this Saturday against the Trojans. The school record for most wins in a single season is 21, set by the 1978-79 team.
>> WSU has set a program record this season for the most road wins in Pac-12 play with five victories. Three of the five road wins in league play this season have come against ranked teams, which sets a school record for the most road wins over ranked teams in a season.
>> Washington State is coming off a 62-55 win at No. 17/16 UCLA this past Thursday. WSU is 9-3 on the road this season. The nine away victories are tied for the most true road wins in a season in program history with the 1978-79 and 1981-82 teams.
>> This Saturday's matchup against Southern California will mark the 77th all-time meeting between the Cougars and Trojans. USC leads the series 56-20, though Washington State has won two of the last three games against Southern Cal. USC knocked off the Cougs 51-44 in Beasley Coliseum back on Jan. 20.
Game Coverage
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network Washington with Tracy Warren and Tammy Blackburn on the call. Fans can listen to Steve Grubbs call all the action locally at 1150 AM or anywhere at WSUCougars.com.
NET RANKING
Washington State heads into Saturday sporting a NET ranking of 38. The NET ranking is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine at-large bids and tournament seedings. Last season, the Cougars ended the season with a NET ranking of 58 and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament for a second-straight season. WSU was a No. 8 seed in last season's NCAA Tournament.
Ula's Closing in on WSU's Game Played Record
When fifth-year senior Ula Motuga takes the court against UCLA this week, she will pass Sage Romberg (2010-14) for Washington State's all-time games played record at 130.
Collecting the Conference Wins
Washington State's nine Pac-12 Conference wins this season are tied for the third-most Pac-12 wins in a season in program history, tying them with the 1989-90, 1994-95, 2013-14, and 2020-21 squads. If the Cougars were to win Saturday at USC, it would give them 10 league wins this season, just one shy of the school record of 11 Pac-12 wins set by the 2021-22 team.
An Effective Starting Lineup
Washington State is 19-5 this season when starting Charlisse Leger-Walker, Johanna Teder, Tara Wallack, Ula Motuga, and Bella Murekatete.
Scouting the Trojans
Southern California comes into the 2022-23 regular-season finale sporting a 20-8 overall record and a 10-7 mark in league games, though the Trojans have lost two of its last three games heading into their matchup against Washington State. USC is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls.
Graduate student Kadi Sissoko leads the Trojans in scoring at 15.5 points per game. Sissoko is one of three double-digit scorers for Southern California this season, as Destiny Littleton is putting up 13.9 points per game and Rayah Marshall is averaging 13.1 points per contest, while she also paces the Trojans on the glass with her 11.1 rebounds per game average.
The Trojans are putting up 64.9 points per contest this season, while shooting 38.9 percent from the floor. Teams are averaging 54.4 points per game against USC, while the opposition is shooting 35.2 percent from the floor.
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