MORAGA, Calif. (January 15, 2026) – Washington State women's basketball found another gear late and made just enough plays down the stretch to earn a hard-fought road win Thursday night, edging Saint Mary's 68-64 in overtime at UCU Pavilion.

The Cougars (4-16, 3-4 WCC) shot 42.3 percent from the field and sank 18 free throws while out-rebounding the Gaels 51-30.

Eleonora Villa led the offense with 16 points to go with six assists, three rebounds and a steal.

Keandra Koorits tallied 15 points, going 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. She also had six assists and a steal.

Alex Covill put up four blocks and hauled in five boards to go with her nine points. Tanja Valancic also scored nine, and had a team-high 10 rebounds.

Charlotte Abraham pitched in seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.

WSU set the tone early, using crisp ball movement and steady defensive pressure to build a 16-10 advantage after one quarter. Wazzu continued to lean on its defense in the second, but Saint Mary's answered with a surge before halftime to briefly flip the momentum. The Gaels outscored WSU 20-14 in the period, sending the game to the break knotted at 30-all and setting the stage for a back-and-forth second half.

Washington State regained control coming out of halftime, reestablishing its composure on both ends, but Saint Mary's held a slight 47-44 lead at the end of three. Neither team could fully shake the other in the fourth, as the Cougars and Gaels traded key baskets and defensive stops down the stretch. Saint Mary's closed the final minutes strong to force overtime, but Washington State never wavered.

In the extra session, the Cougars' poise proved decisive. Washington State opened overtime with a quick burst, getting timely scoring and forcing tough looks at the other end. The defense locked in when it mattered most, holding Saint Mary's to just seven points in overtime while WSU countered with 11 to seal the win.


Notes

• Eleonora Villa's 16 points puts her at 1,285 career points, 15th in program history and three from 14th.
• Villa made two threes, putting her at 132 career made threes, one away from joining the WSU all-time top-10 list.
• Villa made four field goals, reaching 504 for her career, 33 from top-10 all-time at WSU (537).
• Now at 3,031 career minutes played, Villa is 292 from top-10 all-time at WSU (3,323).
• Alex Covill's four rejections put her at 133 career blocks, seventh all-time in program history and two from moving up to sixth.
• Covill's five boards puts her at 224 career rebounds, 26 away from 250.
• Covill's nine points moves her to 402 career points, 98 from 500.
• Charlotte Abraham's three points puts her at 383 career points, 117 away from 500.
• Abraham's seven rebounds put her at 138 for the season, 99 away from top-10 all-time at WSU in a single-season (237).
• Abraham also now has 225 career rebounds, 25 from 250.
• Abraham tallied a career-high four steals on the night.
• Keandra Koorits matched a career-best with six made field goals.
• Tanja Valancic set career-highs with nine points and 10 rebounds.
• Villa toed the charity stripe a dozen times with a career-high 12 free throw attempts.
• The team's 51 rebounds was a season-high and the first 50+ rebound game since Nov. 29, 2023 against Texas A&M Commerce.
• WSU had its first 20+ rebounding margin since Dec. 17, 2023 against Houston.

Up Next
The Cougars return home to host San Francisco on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Trevor Williams and Stephanie Freeman on the call.

Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Women's Basketball season are on sale now. Fans wishing to purchase tickets can click on the link HERE, visit wsucougars.com to order online, or call the WSU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-COUGS.

For all the latest WSU women's basketball news, photos and videos, like the team on Facebook (facebook.com/WSUCougarWBB), or follow on Twitter (@WSUCougarWBB) and Instagram (@wsucougarwbb).