Box Score

California Cal 13-17,4-14 Pac-12

Washington St. WSU 20-10,9-9 Pac-12

California Cal

13-17,4-14 Pac-12

Final

Mar. 01, 2023

Washington St. WSU

20-10,9-9 Pac-12

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
California Cal	10	17	15	7	49
Washington St. WSU	9	12	23	17	61

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | March 01, 2023 | Washington State Athletic Communications

Cougs collect historic 20th win of the season with a Pac-12 Tournament victory over Cal

LAS VEGAS – The No. 7-seeded Washington State women's basketball team advanced to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals, Wednesday, March 1, with a 61-49 win over No. 10-seed California in the first-round action at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

The victory over California improves Washington State's overall record to 20-10, giving the Cougars their first 20-win season in the NCAA era (post-1982). It is the second time in program history that WSU has won 20 games in a season, which came during the 1978-79 season when the Cougars won a school-record 21 games.

The Cougars had to overcome a slow start offensively against the Golden Bears, as Washington State trailed by as many as nine points in the third quarter before collecting a come-from-behind victory in the first round of the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament. Washington State will now move onto the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, where they will take on No. 2-seeded Utah this Thursday, March 2, at 6 p.m. PT at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The nine-point deficit that the Cougars erased in the third quarter marked the program's largest come-from-behind win at the Pac-12 Tournament in program history.

Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker scored a game-high 23 points, as she shot a blistering 53.3 percent in the first round against the Golden Bears. Senior Bella Murekatete collected a double-double in the first-round victory, as the 6-3 post player from Butare Huye, Rwanda scored 13 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Murekatete's 12 caroms against California ties her own program record for the most rebounds collected by a Coug in a Pac-12 Tournament game. It is Murekatete's eighth double-double of the season. Murekatete's performance helped the Cougs to a 40-33 edge on the glass, which included 16 offensive boards that led to 16 second-chance points.

Washington State shot 41.4 percent from the field against the Golden Bears, while limiting California to 39.2 percent from the floor. The Cougars allowed just one 3-point field goal against Cal in the first-round victory, as WSU held the Golden Bears to just 1-of-10 from behind the arc. Washington State clamped down defensively in the third and fourth quarters, as the Cougars outscored California 40-22 over the final two minutes. Washington State limited Cal to 32 percent from the field in the second half, while WSU didn't allow the No. 10-seeded team in the Pac-12 Tournament to hit a single 3-point field goal over the final 20 minutes of play.

The Cougs opened the game trailing 10-3. WSU responded with a 6-0 run to end the first quarter, as the Cougs took a one-point deficit into the second quarter at 10-9. Washington State took a lead with its first made basket of the second stanza, as a putback by Leger-Walker gave the Cougars an 11-9 advantage. Cal punched back, as the Golden Bears went on an 8-0 run to take an 18-11 lead over WSU. Washington State would cut its deficit to six points with a Leger-Walker free throw with less than a second left before halftime, as the Cougars trailed California, 27-21, at the break.

California came out of the break on a 6-2 run to extend its lead over Washington State to a game-high nine points with 8:15 left to play in the third. Washington State would go on a 19-8 run to take a 42-40 lead after a layup from sophomore Tara Wallack with 1:13 left to play in the third. California would tie the game up at 42-42 all on its next possession, but the Cougars would end the frame by getting a pair of free throws from Leger-Walker after an intentional foul was given an intentional foul to give the Cougs a 44-42 advantage heading into the night's final quarter.

Washington State would keep applying the pressure in the fourth quarter, as the Cougars opened the frame on an 11-3 run to take a double-digit lead at 55-45 after a layup from freshman Astera Tuhina with 3:32 left to play. WSU would only allow Cal to score four more points from that point, as the Cougars were able to complete the comeback win against the Golden Bears.

WSU Head Coach on Kamie Ethridge on the Win
"Well, I just want to say I think Cal played an unbelievable game. They were certainly the most aggressive team in the first half. They really made it hard for us to run any kind of offense. They were switching. We couldn't find the mismatch. We looked a little bit out of sync obviously on offense. Weren't great defensively, but still, I think our defense kind of kept us in it when we weren't so good. I was just really happy with our team and the response they made coming out of the second half. We didn't get it back all at once. But just the mindset and the discipline and the staying with it and changing kind of some of the things that we were doing, just, again, the hard work, getting more rebounds, continuing to defend them as well as we did. Then obviously we made some really good plays offensively to get going and get some baskets and points up on the board. So, I just think that 20 minutes at the second half was just really quality basketball for our team."

Coach Ethridge on Washington State's 20-Win Season
"You know, a little bit of comedy in that. It's not a great statement for the history of our program, but that's what it is we signed up for this and we signed great players. We have progressed to the point where we win more than we lose and that we compete well pretty much in every game that we play. We're to that point. So to get that, to get a 20-win season, I mean, it's a milestone. It's something that really hadn't been done too much in our program history. So these guys need to be really proud about another thing that we can check off our little list of first times in a long time or first time ever in the NCAA era. So I'm proud of the people we've recruited and what we've built in five years, and the best and biggest credit goes to signing really great players and great character kids and hard-working and disciplined and serious about becoming really good at this, and great teammates on and off the court. So that's what makes this really special and letting them, I hope, enjoy it and be proud of it. And, I mean, they need to celebrate that and they need to know that that's what they have accomplished."

Coug Notes
- First 20-win season since 1978-79. Second 20-win season in program history.
- Sixth-straight win against Cal and the second all-time win against Cal in the Pac-12 Tournament.
- WSU has won a Pac-12 Tourney game in two of the last three seasons with WSU winning its first round game in 2021.
- Six of Washington State's nine wins all-time Pac-12 Tournament wins have come as the No. 7 seed.
- WSU is now 6-4 all time as the No. 7 seed (3-17 combined as any other seed).
- The Cougs trailed by six points at halftime, it is the largest halftime deficit overcome in a Pac-12 tournament win in program history.
- Fourth time in Pac-12 Tourney history holding their opponent under 50 points.
- Washington State also held opponent under 50 points in their last Pac-12 Tourney win (47 - Utah in 2021)
- Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker's 23-point outing is the second-most points scored by a Coug in the Pac-12 Tournament under Coach Ethridge, just one-point shy of matching Chanelle Molina's 24-point performance in the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament, also against Cal.
- 2nd most points by a Coug in a Pac-12 Tourney game under Ethridge.
- Bella Murekatete collected her eight double-double of the season with a 13-point, 12-rebound effort against California.
- Murekatete becomes the first WSU player in program history to collect multiple double-doubles at the Pac-12 Tournament, as she is one of four WSU players to ever post a double-double at the Pac-12 Tournament.