PULLMAN, Wash. (February 11, 2024) – Washington State women's basketball fell to No. 6 Stanford, 73-58, Sunday afternoon.

The Cougars (15-10, 4-8 Pac-12) tested Stanford and shot at a 44 percent clip from the field, while going a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.

Eleonora Villa led the team with 16 points and three steals, while also recording two rebounds and two assists.

Astera Tuhina finished with 13 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Tara Wallack scored nine, and added four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Beyonce Bea scored six and grabbed seven boards, surpassing 1,000 career rebounds in the process. She also dished out an assist and grabbed a steal.

Alex Covill also scored six points, while tallying three rebounds, an assist and a block.

Bella Murekatete totaled five points, three rebounds, two assists, and a block on the day.

Wallack opened the game with a trey to help the Cougs get out to an early lead, and an E. Villa steal followed by a Covill layup put WSU ahead 11-6 with 4:23 to go in the first. Buckets from Murekatete and E. Villa stretched the Cougar lead to 16-8 as the team took an 18-11 lead into the second quarter.

Five quick points from E. Villa to start the second kept WSU out in front 23-15 and a Tuhina three extended the lead to 26-17. Stanford worked their way back to within a possession, and J. Villa answered with a three to put the Cougar lead at 31-25 with 4:18 to go in the first half.

Stanford used a 9-0 scoring run down the stretch to take a 38-33 lead, but an E. Villa bucket before the break made it a 38-35 Stanford advantage at halftime.

E. Villa put together a steal and score to open the third and draw WSU within one, 38-37, before she nailed a triple to make it 40-38 Cougs. Stanford would outscore WSU 12-2 over the next four minutes, though, to lead 50-42 with under five to play in the third.

WSU kept fighting, using jumpers from Covill and Tuhina to make it 52-48 before a Tuhina three made it a one-point game, 52-51, entering the final minute of the third.

After taking a 53-51 lead into the fourth, Stanford added seven straight to make it 60-51. Minutes later, with the Cougs down 66-53, a deep three from Tuhina brough things back to 10, 66-56, but Stanford was able to run the clock down from there as they went on to win 73-58.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Bella Murekatete

• Grabbed three rebounds to extend her program lead to 910 career rebounds
• Five points today puts her at 1,457 career points, 10th most in program history
• One block extended her program lead in career blocks to 178
• Played in game number 142, and started her 134th game, extending her program lead in both categories

Beyonce Bea

• Grabbed seven rebounds to extend career rebounds total to 1,004
• Appeared in her 136th career game

UP NEXT
The Cougars head to The Grand Canyon State next weekend to take on Arizona on Friday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m., and Arizona State on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m.

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For more information on the Washington State women's basketball team, follow @WSUCougarWBB on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.