Cougs Stun No. 8/7 Arizona on Senior Day in Beasley

PULLMAN, Wash. – A junior stole the show on Senior Day in Pullman, as Johanna Teder scored 21 points and hit five 3-point field goals Sunday, Feb. 20, to help the Washington State women's basketball team knock off No. 8/7-ranked Arizona, 72-67, at Beasley Coliseum.

With the win, Washington State ties the program record for most Pac-12 Conference wins in a season, as the Cougars are now 10-5 on Pac-12 play. WSU also move to 18-8 on the year, as the 18 wins are tied for the most victories in a season by the Cougars in the NCAA era. Both records were set by the 1990-91 team.

Coupled with Oregon's loss to Stanford, Washington State now sits in a tie for second place in the Pac-12 standing heading into the final week of the regular season.

Teder continued her recent hot streak offensively, as her 21-point performance against the Wildcats marks her second-straight 20-point outing this weekend. The guard from Estonia hit a game-high five 3-point field goals and shot a blistering 58.3 percent from the field, as she hit seven of her 12 shots from the field.

The guard was also clutch down the stretch for WSU. Arizona had pulled to within two points with less than two minutes remaining in the game. That's when Teder took over. She hit a 3-pointer in the corner at the 1:53 mark to spark a personal 7-0 run over the next minute of game time to extend Washington State's lead out to a game-high nine points with :53 left to play. Washington State went 5-of-6 at the free throw line to seal the five-point victory over the No. 8/7-ranked Wildcats.

Teder was one of four players to score double digits for the Cougars. Junior Bella Murekatete tallied 16 points and pulled down a team-best eight rebounds in the victory. Sophomore Charlisse Leger-Walker and redshirt fifth-year senior Krystal Leger-Walker each recorded double-digit points in what could be their final home game together as Cougs, as Charlisse registered 15 points and Krystal chipped in 12 points.

Washington State was plus-11 on the glass against No. 8/7 Arizona, as the Cougars limited the Wildcats to only 21 rebounds on the day. The Cougars shot a blistering 54.2 percent from the field in Sunday's victory and hit a total of nine shots from behind the arc.

WSU trailed the No. 8/7 Wildcats at the half, 33-31, but Cougars quickly reclaimed a lead, as they opened they third with back-to-back baskets from Murekatete to take a 35-33 lead. Arizona pulled even at 41-41 with 3:37 left to play in the third before Washington State would go on a 9-4 run to close out the frame and take a five-point lead into the fourth quarter. Washington State never trailed in the final stanza, as they picked up the Cougars picked up their fourth win over a top-10 program under head coach Kamie Ethridge.

Head Coach Kamie Ethridge on the Win
"Big, big win for us. This is a resume-building kind of win. I thought our team responded. They started the game great. We handled their pressure well and got them out of their system. I loved our second half performance and how we came out and got a lead and kept it. It shows that our team is continuing to morph into whatever we need them to be to succeed. I'm thrilled for this team. Thrilled for these seniors. This was a huge day for them and I'm proud of what they have accomplished here."

Coug Notes
- Washington State is now 11-2 at Beasley Coliseum this season. The 11 wins are the second-most home wins in a single season, tying them with the 1994-95 squad.
- Washington State recorded its first win over a top-10 team since Feb. 5, 2021, when they Cougars knocked off No. 5/4 UCLA, 67-63, in Beasley.
- The win over No. 8/7 Arizona is Washington State's sixth win all-time over a top-10 program. Three of those wins have come within the last two seasons.
- WSU's 18 wins this season ties them with the 1990-91 team for the most victories in a single season in program history in the NCAA era. The program's all-time single season wins record is 21, set by the 1978-79 team.
- The 10 Pac-12 wins by WSU is ties the program record for most conference wins in the season with the 1990-91 team.
- With today's win, WSU guarantees itself a winning Pac-12 record this season. It is only the second time in program history that the Cougars posted a winning Pac-12 record in season.
- With 21 points today, Johanna Teder has now scored 20-or-more points in a game three times this season. It is also Teder's second-straight 20-point performance.
- Junior Bella Murekatete extended her double-digit scoring streak to four games with a 16-point performance. Her 16 points against Arizona is the most scored by the post player against a Pac-12 team this season.
- Sophomore Charlisse Leger-Walker scored double-digit points for the 21st time this season. Leger-Walker has scored 10-or-more points in 42 of her 49 career games at WSU.
- Krystal Leger-Walker recorded double-digit points for the eighth time this season.
- Krystal Leger-Walker extended her consecutive game assist streak to 92-straight contests.

Up Next
Washington State hits the road to for the final time in the 2021-22 regular season Thursday, Feb. 24, when the Cougars head to the Bay Area to take on No. 2/2 Stanford. Tip-off against the Cardinal is set for 8 p.m. PT and will air live on the Pac-12 Network.

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