LAS VEGAS - One night after the Washington State Cougars celebrated, there was so much more where that came from.

The seventh-seeded Cougars added to the “firsts” that this program has experienced in the past three years under head coach Kamie Ethridge, punching their first ticket to the Pac-12 Tournament title game with a 61-49 upset win over No. 3 seed Colorado at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Friday night. They will take on No. 5 seed UCLA on Sunday at 2 p.m. PT, looking to add a first-ever tournament title to the list.

But first, they danced and sang — belting out Shaina Twain’s “Man, I Feel LIke a Woman," the team’s theme song — with their band, cheerleaders and a bank of photographers in front of them.

Ethridge circled behind them, smiling widely.

“I can’t even express how thrilled I am for our program and for these players and everyone who is involved with our program,” Ethridge said. “We worked a long time to put ourselves in a position to advance and to reach the championship is really exciting.”

And unprecedented. Man, it has been a wild week in Las Vegas.

Washington State’s win tied the tournament record for upsets with six, matched back in 2014. 

For the first time ever, two teams who played on the opening day of the tournament, will be meeting in the title game. And the Cougars will be the lowest seed ever to appear in the title game.

The emotion from players such as fifth-year senior Ula Motuga, who came to WSU when the team had a losing record and sat near the bottom of the Pac-12, was apparent long after the game.

“I’m amazed at the tears in our locker room,” Ethridge said. “They have gone through so much and come out the other side of it…nothing has come easy. It’s unbelievably fun to see their tears of joy and reflection on what they have accomplished.”

Washington State is playing their best basketball at the best possible time. The Cougars have won six of their last seven games, the only loss in double-overtime against USC, and they are turning heads nationally with their inspired run through this Conference tournament.

The Cougars were led in scoring by Charlisse Leger-Walker with 15 points. Senior Bella Murekatete added 12 points and eight rebounds and Astera Tuhina pitched in with 10 points.

Motuga hit three 3-pointers for nine points, none bigger than the one she hit with 3:22 to play. Colorado’s Aaronette Vonleh blocked Murekatete, and the ball caromed straight to Motuga who buried the 3 to give WSU a 10-point lead.

“That was a play,” Murekatete joked.

“Moments like that are momentum shifters,” Vonleh said. “When you are expecting the play to go one way and it goes a different way.”

After taking a 34-18 lead in the third quarter, the Cougars had to withstand the Buffaloes’ comeback, Colorado going on a 20-4 run to end the third quarter and tying the game at 41-41 with 7:41 to go.

From there, WSU went on a 12-2 run, much of the time with Leger-Walker on the bench, to close it out.

“If you were to have told me when I was a freshman that five years down the track we’d be here, and I would say there’s no way, no possible way,” Motuga said. “What coach has been able to do, her vision that she’s had and recruiting great players, it shows how much we believe in it. I’m grateful to be here.”

Colorado, led by Vonleah’s 18 points, falls to 0-4 in tournament semifinal games. But the Buffaloes are still in a strong position to be considered as a top 4 seed and a first- and second-round tournament host in the NCAA Tournament.

“We always focus on the moment,” Payne said. “So we will rest, recover and get back to playing great basketball every day.”