PULLMAN, Wash. – Led by freshman Borislava Hristova, the Washington State women's basketball team defeated Hampton, 68-61, Monday night at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars made 11-of-22 (.500) 3-point shots to hold off the Lady Pirates, while forcing 20 turnovers and outscoring HU's bench players 32-12.

The first quarter was a defensive battle, as WSU grabbed three steals and two blocks to maintain a slim 14-12 lead through the opening period. The Cougars would go on to take 38-23 halftime lead as Hristova sparked a 15-4 run in the final four minutes of the half. Sophomores Louise Brown and Pinelopi Pavlopoulou, along with Hristova and senior Taylor Edmondson all made 3-pointers in the quarter to build WSU's double-digit lead.

Returning from the locker room, the Lady Pirates looked to erase the deficit, cutting the Cougar lead to as few at 12 points midway through the third quarter. However, WSU freshman Alexys Swedlund nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 19 points, the Cougars' largest lead of the night.

Hampton would surge back in the fourth quarter, led by sophomore Malia Tate-Defreitas with 22 points. The Lady Pirates cut the Cougar lead to single digits with 7:15 to play in the final period, but the deficit was too large to overcome, as WSU's Hristova, Edmondson, and Swedlund all recorded another 3-pointer to seal the Cougar victory.

In total, five Cougar players scored from beyond the arc, led by Hristova (3-of-4), Edmondson (3-of-5), and Swedlund (3-of-7). Hristova became the first Cougar freshman with a 20-point performance since Lia Galdeira scored 21 points at Arizona Feb. 3, 2013. The Bulgarian freshman has led the Cougars in both games this year, averaging 17.5 points per game.

Senior Dawnyelle Awa led the Cougars defensively, grabbing six steals, tied for the most in her career. WSU also recorded five blocks after having nine Friday night against UC Santa Barbara. Freshman Maria Kostourkova and sophomore Louise Brown led the team with six rebounds apiece against the Lady Pirates. Edmondson led the way with a career-high four assists.

The Cougars will hit the road this week, traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Rainbow Wahine Classic. WSU will play Nevada Friday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 PT, before facing Hawaii Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. PT.