Cougars host Ducks, battle Beavers in Beasley

Cougars face Ducks 7 p.m. Friday, Beavers noon Sunday

WSU+guard+Charlisse+Leger-Walker+dribbles+the+ball+during+an+NCAA+basketball+game+against+Cal%2C+Sunday%2C+Feb.+5%2C+2023%2C+in+Pullman%2C+Wash.

HAILEE SPEIR

WSU guard Charlisse Leger-Walker dribbles the ball during an NCAA basketball game against Cal, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Pullman, Wash.

SAM TAYLOR, Evergreen sports co-editor

The final home weekend of the WSU women’s basketball season is here and the Cougs have their eyes on history.

The Cougs will host the Oregon Ducks (14-11, 5-9 Pac-12) at 7 p.m. Friday and the Oregon State Beavers (11-14, 3-11 Pac-12) at noon Sunday.

Senior Bella Murekatete has played the last four years at WSU and has climbed high onto several All-Time program records including being top five in rebounds at WSU.

With her 11th double-double Sunday versus No. 7 Utah through her 18-point, 14-rebound performance. Murekatete is tied with Jonni Gray (1986-89) for the ninth most double-doubles in program history.

Six of her 11 career double-doubles have happened this season.

Murekatete is also 13 points away from 1,000 career points.

Senior Ula Motuga was tied with three other players for the seventh most starts in program history and now stands all alone in seventh with 125 career starts.

Motuga has been a reliable rebounder all season for Wazzu. Cougs can count on her or Murekatete to pace Wazzu in rebounding as Motuga’s 5.7 rebounds per game are 17th in the Pac-12.

Murekatete’s seven rebounds per game are ninth-best in the Pac-12.

Charlisse Leger-Walker is 4 points away from cracking the Cougar’s top 10 All-Time scoring list. She has 1,329 career points.

Oregon started the year hot flying as high as No. 16 in the AP top 25 poll seven weeks into the season.

However, as they began to drop an increasing number of Pac-12 Conference games, they fell out of favor with AP voters and now find themselves unranked and in eighth place in the Pac-12.

However, with the Pac-12 being its typical “Conference of Champions” self, the Ducks still have a lot to play for.

The Cougs will face a Ducks squad hungry for revenge after Wazzu edged out Oregon 85-84 (OT) Jan 15 in Eugene, Oregon.

It was Wazzu’s first win in Eugene, Oregon and first win of any kind over Oregon since Jan. 1, 2017, in which the Cougs won 75-59. WSU’s All-Time record against the Ducks is 13–34.

Oregon was Jessica Clarke’s 2023 breakout game as she scored 14 points on a 5-for-7 clip and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Clarke scored six of her 14 points in overtime after the Cougar saw a double-digit fourth-quarter lead slip away.

Endyia Rogers scored a blistering 33 points against the Cougs in January as one of four Ducks to score in double-digits.

Murekatete (20 points), Leger-Walker (17 points), Johanna Teder (15 points) and Motuga (14 points) joined Clarke in leading the Cougs in scoring.

The Cougars beat the Beavers 63–56 Jan. 13 in Corvallis, Oregon The Cougar’s All-Time record against the Beavers (14–11) is only slightly better than their record against Oregon.

Tara Wallack had one of her better games of the season against the Beavers in January as she scored 17 points on a 7-for-9 clip.

The Beavers were led by Bendu Yeaney last time, but she only scored 11 points and the Cougars did not allow any other Beaver to climb higher than 9 points.

The Cougs will play Oregon at 7 p.m. Friday and Oregon State at noon Sunday at Beasley Coliseum. Sunday is senior day as it will be the final regular season home game for several Wazzu players who will be announced later in the week.