PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State women's basketball rode 29 fourth-quarter points to a 72-69 win over Southern Utah Friday night., with Eleonora Villa scoring eight straight WSU points late in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars (2-2, 0-0 Pac-12) scored 48 points in the second half after 24 in the first, and finished 21-of-25 at the free-throw line. The teams finished with 10 ties and eight lead changes while matching each other in made field goals, assists and turnovers, and WSU added small edges in 3-pointers, free throws and rebounds.
Villa scored 23 points, going 8-of-17 from the field and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line.
Mackenzie Chatfield finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists.
Charlotte Abraham added 11 points and made two 3-pointers.
Alex Covill recorded seven points, three rebounds and two blocks.
The Cougars opened the first quarter with Chatfield scoring the first two baskets and Tanja Valancic adding a free throw for a 5-0 lead. Southern Utah worked back to tie the game at 7-7 before Chatfield put WSU back in front with a jumper. After another 9-9 tie, Chatfield hit a 3-pointer, Aicha Bah made free throws and Villa scored to help WSU lead 16-13 after one.
Southern Utah trimmed the deficit to 16-15 early in the second quarter, then held WSU without a point until 1:40 and moved ahead 24-16. WSU answered with a 6-0 run as Abraham made a free throw and a 3-pointer before Chatfield hit a jumper. Southern Utah pushed the lead back to four, but Villa made two free throws with seven seconds left to send the Cougs into halftime trailing 26-24.
Abraham tied the score at 26-all with a jumper, but Southern Utah moved in front 34-28. WSU came back behind a Villa jumper, Malia Ruud's layup off Chatfield's assist and two Villa free throws to tie it at 34 before Abraham's 3-pointer put the Cougars ahead 37-36. The lead changed hands again, and after Elizaveta Filchagina made four free throws, Southern Utah scored the next five before Villa's late basket left WSU trailing 46-43.
Chatfield made two early steals that led to Villa baskets, the second putting the Cougs ahead 47-46 at 9:10, before Southern Utah answered and the quarter moved back and forth. Southern Utah built a 60-53 lead, but Covill scored three inside baskets and Villa hit a 3-pointer at 2:38 to tie it at 60-60. Covill added a free throw and assisted Villa's go-ahead 3-pointer at 1:12, then Villa, Chatfield and Covill helped the Cougars finish off the 72-69 win.
Notes
- Kenzie Chatfield hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds on the way to her second-career double-double.
- Chatfield has scored at least 18 points in two consecutive games.
- Eleonora Villa scored a season-high 23 points.
- Villa has 148 career made threes, two from 150.
- Villa has 96 career steals, four from 100.
- Villa has 99 career starts, one from 100.
- Alex Covill has 289 career rebounds, 11 from 300.
- Covill sits at 1,399 career minutes, 101 from 1,500.
- Chatfield has 391 career points, 109 from 500.
- Malvina Haziri has 74 career points, 26 from 100.
- Malia Ruud has 323 career points, 177 from 500.
- Villa has 1,568 career points, moving up to fifth all-time in program history, 142 from moving up to fifth (1,710).
- Villa’s 148 career made threes ranks seventh all-time at WSU, six away from sixth (154).
- Villa has also made 616 career field goals, fifth all-time at WSU and five away from fourth (621).
- At 3,647 career minutes played, Villa is moves up to fifth all-time at WSU, and 147 from fourth (3,794).
- Covill has 161 career blocks, third all-time in program history and six blocks shy of second (167).
- Covill has a .530 field goal percentage, second-best in program history (.543 – Kristin Metson, 1987-91).
Up next, WSU hosts Washington Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Pullman, Wash.