Cougs Set for Round Two of the Boeing Apple Cup Series this Sunday

Jan 29, 2022

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team heads to Seattle this Sunday, Jan. 30, seeking a Boeing Apple Cup Series sweep, as the Cougars take on Washington for the second time in three days. Tip-off from Alaska Airlines Arena is set for 12 p.m. PT and will air live on Pac-12 Network Washington.

STARTING FIVE
>> The Cougs come into Sunday's matchup against the Huskies fresh-off a 60-56 win in overtime in game one of this week's Boeing Apple Cup Series. The Cougars erased a nine-point deficit in the final six minutes of regulation, as a 3-pointer by senior Ula Motuga with 14 seconds remaining sent the game into the extra stanza. In the overtime period, WSU went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line to complete the come-from-behind victory.

>> Washington State heads over to Seattle sporting a 12-6 record overall and a 4-3 mark in Pac-12 Conference play. WSU will be seeking its third-straight conference win when it tips off against UW this Sunday.

>> The Cougars are 6-1 against the Huskies under fourth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge. The six wins are the most wins against Washington by a WSU head coach. Washington State has swept the season series against UW in two of the last three seasons and will searching for its fourth-straight win over the Huskies in Seattle for the first time in 49 years. The last time WSU won four-straight against UW in Seattle came during the 1971-72 and 1972-73 campaigns.

>> WSU has won four-straight games overall against Washington coming into Sunday's contest. It is the first time in the NCAA era that the Cougars have beat the Huskies in four-straight games, as the last time came during the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons, when WSU won five consecutive games over UW.

>> Sunday's matchup will be the 102nd meeting between Washington State and Washington. It is the longest-running rivalry in WSU history, as the series dates back to 1971. UW leads the all-time series 74-27, but the Cougars have won seven of the last nine games against the Huskies.

A Rare Overtime Apple Cup Game
Friday's overtime contest between Washington State and Washington served as only the third time in the 101-game series between the Cougars and the Huskies that a contest has gone to an extra stanza. Washington State is 2-1 in those OT periods against UW, picking up win a 75-72 win in Seattle on Jan. 9. 1993 and a 60-56 victory this past Friday in Beasley Coliseum. Washington's lone overtime Apple Cup victory was a 76-70 win in Pullman on Jan. 29. 2010.

Husky Tamer
Sophomore Charlisse Leger-Walker has recorded double-digit points in all three of her career games against Washington. Leger-Walker is averaging 17.0 points per contest against the Huskies in her career and she returns to Alaska Airlines Arena for the first time since scoring 20 points in her collegiate debut back on Dec. 11, 2020.

Reigning in Seattle
The Emerald City has been kind to the Cougars of late, as WSU has won three-straight games against the Huskies inside Alaska Airlines Arena. All of those victories have come under head coach Kamie Ethridge, as she sports a perfect 3-0 record against UW in Seattle. Ethridge is the first coach in program history to win their first three road games against the Huskies in the NCAA era. The last time WSU won four-straight against UW in Seattle came during the 1971-72 and 1972-73 campaigns.

Ula The Sniper
Senior Ula Motuga has been on one of the best stretches of her career from behind the arc of late. The forward has gone 11-of-16 (.688) from behind the arc over the last five games, which includes a career-high four 3-pointers made at Southern California on Jan. 14. Motuga has hit 17 3-pointers through 14 games this season and is shooting a career-best 51.5 percent from behind the arc.

NET Ranking
Washington State's climb up the NET ranking continues, as the Cougs come into Sunday's game at No. 62. The NET is a system used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to determine at-large bids and seeding.

Scouting the Huskies
Washington comes into Sunday's Boeing Apple Cup series looking for its first Pac-12 win of the season, as the Huskies are currently 0-5 in the league. UW is 5-8 overall in its first season with head coach Tina Langley and is riding a five-game losing streak.

Junior Haley Van Dyke lead the Huskies in scoring at 11.0 points per game. The 6-1 forward is shooting 38.6 percent from the field. 6-9 senior Nancy Mulkey is averaging 9.8 points per game on a team-best 49.5 shooting percentage. Van Dyke leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 caroms per game, while Mulkey's 6.2 boards per game is second-best on the team. Sophomore Lauren Schwartz is also boasting a double-digit scoring average in Pac-12 play, as she is putting up 10.6 points per game through four league contests.

As a team, Washington is averaging a league-low 56.5 points per game this season. The Huskies are shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from behind the arc. Teams are putting up 58.9 points per game against UW, while posting a 37.7 shooting percentage against the Huskies.

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