PHILADELPHIA – The No. 23-ranked Washington State women's basketball team begins its March Madness run this Saturday, March 18, as the No. 5-seeded Cougars are set to take on No. 22-ranked Florida Gulf Coast in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from Finneran Pavilion is set for 11:30 a.m. PT and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
#23 WASHINGTON STATE (23-10) vs. #22 Florida Gulf Coast (32-3) | Saturday, March 18, 2023 | 11:30 a.m. PT | Philadelphia, Pa. | Finneran Pavilion
Live Stats | Click Here
Watch | ESPNU (John Brickley and Aja Ellison)
Listen | Click Here (Steve Grubbs)
Game Notes | Click Here
Starting Five
>> The Washington State women's basketball team earned an automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA Tournament after winning the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The Cougars became the lowest seed to ever win the Pac-12 Tournament, as Washington State captured the Pac-12 title, as No. 7 seed WSU defeated No. 5 seed UCLA, 65-61, in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Cougars won four games in five days in Las Vegas en route to the school's first Pac-12 title in a female team sport.
>> WSU defeated three ranked teams in a span of four days during its run to a Pac-12 title in Las Vegas. The Cougars defeated No. 3/4 Utah, 66-58, in the quarterfinals, then knocked off No. 20/21 Colorado, 61-49, in the semifinals to give WSU its first berth into the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Championship Game. In the title game, Washington State defeated No. 19/16 UCLA, 65-61, to win the program's first Pac-12 Tournament championship. It also marked the first time in program history that WSU has won consecutive games against ranked teams.
>> The Cougars' heater in Las Vegas helped WSU earn its second ranking ever in the Associated Press Top-25, as the Cougs checked in at No. 23 in this week's AP Top-25 poll. Washington State entered the AP poll for the second time ever in program history last week, as the Cougars were No. 22 in last week's poll. This week marks the first time in program history that Washington State has been ranked in a national poll for consecutive weeks.
>> Washington State will be playing in its third-straight NCAA Tournament. It is WSU's fourth March Madness trip overall, as the Cougars previously went during the 1990-91, 2020-21, and 2021-22 seasons. The Cougars will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament win, as WSU is 0-3 all-time in the big dance.
>> Washington State earned the No. 5 seed in the Greenville Regional 2 section at the 2023 NCAA Tournament and will take on No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast. The No. 5 seed is the highest seed that Washington State has earned at an NCAA Tournament, besting last season's No. 8 seed. Saturday's first-round NCAA Tournament matchup will be the first meeting all-time between WSU and FGCU.
Game Coverage
Washington State's first round NCAA Tournament game against Florida Gulf Coast will take place at Finneran Pavilion on the campus of Villanova. The game will tip-off at 11:30 a.m. PT and will air live on ESPNU with John Brickley and Aja Ellison on the call. Fans can listen to Steve Grubbs call all the action locally at 1150 AM or anywhere at WSUCougars.com.
Buy Tickets
Fans wanting to buy tickets for Washington State's NCAA Tournament games can do so through the host school, Villanova. Tickets are available for $30, and all tickets are mobile. To purchase tickets, click here.
Survive and Advance
The winner of Saturday's game between Washington State and Florida Gulf Coast will take on the winner of No. 4-seed Villanova and No. 13-seed Cleveland State Monday, March 20, at Finneran Pavilion. Game time and television information for the second round of the NCAA Tournament will be announced at a later time.
WSU's History at the NCAA Tournament
Washington State has never won an NCAA Tournament game, failing to make it out of the first round in each of its last three March Madness trips. The Cougars have played in an 8/9 game each of the last two seasons. WSU earned a No. 8 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 9 Kansas State 50-40 in the first round in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Cougs ended a 30-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2020-21 and picked up a No. 9 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Cougars fell to No. 8 seed South Florida, 57-53, in the first round in Austin, Texas. WSU's first NCAA Tournament game came in 1991, where the No. 11-seeded Cougars fell to No. 6-seed Northwestern, 82-62, in the first round in Evanston, Illinois.
Cougs vs. Ranked Teams
Washington State is slated to take on their fourth-straight ranked opponent this Saturday when the Cougars take on No. 23-ranked Florida Gulf Coast in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. WSU has won a school-record three-straight games against ranked teams, taking down No. 3/4 Utah (66-58), No. 20/21 Colorado (61-49), and No. 19/16 UCLA (65-61) on its way to the 2023 Pac-12 title.
The Cougars have won a school-record six games against ranked teams this season, with all six taking place away from Beasley Coliseum this season. WSU is 6-5 against teams ranked inside the Associate Press Top-25 and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.
Road Warriors
Washington State has won a school-record 14 games away from home this season. The Cougars tied a school record with nine wins in true road games this season, while WSU also tied a program record with five neutral site wins this season. All six of Washington State's wins against ranked teams this season have come either on the road or in a neutral site game.
AP All-American Honor for Leger-Walker
Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker earned an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention selection this past Wednesday, March 15. Leger-Walker is the second WSU women's basketball player to ever earn an All-American recognition from the Associate Press, joining Jenni Ruff who also earned an AP All-American Honorable Mention nod during the 1995-96 season.
Leger-Walker leads Washington State in scoring this season at 18.1 points per game. She has scored 525 points this season, which are ninth-most in a single season in WSU women's basketball history. The guard from Waikato is a two-time WBCA All-American Honorable Mention selection, earning the honor in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Leger-Walker, who was an All-Pac-12 selection for the third time in her WSU career this season, was also a USBWA All-American Honorable Mention selection during her freshman season.
Scouting the Eagles
Florida Gulf Coast comes into the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 32-3, winning both the ASUN regular season and tournament titles. The Eagles have won 14 straight games coming into Philadelphia, and like Washington State, FGCU will be playing in its third-straight NCAA Tournament. This will be Florida Gulf Coast's ninth March Madness trip overall since joining NCAA Division I in the 2011-12 season.
The Eagles average 78.1 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. Florida Gulf Coast is the top 3-point shooting team in NCAA Division I this season, as the Eagles make an NCAA-best 11.0 3-point field goals per game. In fact, 42 percent of the Eagles' made field goals this season have come from behind the arc. FGCU hits 32.5 percent on 3-point field goals and shoots an NCAA-best 33.8 3-point field goals per game. Fifth-year senior Tishara Morehouse leads the Eagles in scoring at 15.9 points per game. Morehouse, who was named the 2022-23 ASUN Player of the Year, has hit a team-best 75 3-pointer this season and is hitting a team-best 40.1 percent from behind the arc. Sha Carter was also an All-ASUN first-team selection after averaging 13.9 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
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