Cougs fall to No. 2 Stanford
PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team had its two-game winning streak come to an end Friday, Feb. 3, against No. 2-ranked Stanford as the Cardinal handed the Cougars a 71-38 defeat at Beasley Coliseum.
WSU struggled to get into a rhythm offensively against the second-ranked team in the nation, as the Cougars shot a season-low 25 percent from the field. Conversely, Stanford hit an even 50 percent of its shots from the floor. No Cougar reached double-digit points against Stanford, though eight of the 11 WSU players that saw action against the Cardinal scored. Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker paced the Washington State offense with a team-best eight points.
With the loss, Washington State's two-game winning streak comes to an end, as the Cougars are now 15-7 on the year and 5-6 in Pac-12 Conference play. The loss also makes it five-straight losses inside Beasley Coliseum for the Cougars.
Leger-Walker scored the opening bucket of the game, as she sank her first 3-point field goal of the evening to give WSU a 3-0 lead. Stanford responded with 15-straight points to close out the opening frame, as the Cardinal held a 15-3 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The Cougars chipped away at the Cardinal lead in the second stanza, as WSU made it a seven-point game at 17-10 after senior Johanna Teder sank a free throw with 6:08 left to play before halftime. Washington State made it a two-possession just two minutes later, as a jumper from sophomore Tara Wallack made it a six-point game at 22-16.
After Wallack's bucket, No. 2-ranked Stanford was the benefactor of a six-point possession. The Cougars fouled the Cardinal after a made 3-point field goal to give the ball back to Stanford, then the Cardinal went on to make a second 3-pointer to give them a 25-16 lead with 3:15 before the half. Washington State never recovered from Stanford's six-point possession, as the second-ranked team in the nation took a 36-18 lead into the locker room.
Stanford continued to expand its lead over the final 20 minutes of play. The Cardinal led by as many as 35 points before settling for the 33-point win over the Cougars. Stanford has won every meeting against Washington State, as the Cardinal are now 72-0 all-time against WSU.
WSU Head Coach Kamie Ethridge on the Result
"Stanford is really, really good. We weren't very good on the offensive end, but that is because they are so good defensively. I thought we played like we were intimidated. In a game like this, you've got to make open shots and layups when you get them. We have to handle the ball better than we did in the first half. They took too many possessions away from us. It was just a tough night for us and all the credit in the world goes to Stanford."
Coug Notes
- The Cougars drop their fifth-straight game at Beasley Coliseum, as Washington State is now 6-5 at home this season.
- Washington State falls to 0-72 all-time against Stanford.
- Freshman Lauren Glazier scored a career-high six points off the bench.
- Both Washington State's 25 percent shooting percentage and 38 points scored are season lows for the Cougars.
- The 38 points scored against Stanford tonight marks the first time that the Cougars have been held under 40 points in a game since Feb. 9, 2022, when Oregon held WSU to 30 points.
- The three points scored by Washington State in the first quarter tied the program record for the fewest points scored in the first quarter in a Pac-12 game in school history. WSU also scored three points at USC back on Jan. 14, 2022.
- Charlisse Leger-Walker leads the Cougars in points for the ninth time this season.
Up Next
Washington State closes out its weekend at Beasley Coliseum this Sunday, Feb. 5, as the Cougars take on California. Tip-off against the Golden Bears is set for 12 p.m. PT and will air live on Pac-12 Network Washington.
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