The student voice of Washington State University since 1895

The Daily Evergreen

The student voice of Washington State University since 1895

The Daily Evergreen

The student voice of Washington State University since 1895

The Daily Evergreen

Through the Lens(es): WBB extends win streak to three

Tara Wallack leads team with 20
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BRANDON WILLMAN
WSU’s starting lineup for their matchup against Arizona, Jan. 21, 2024, in Pullman, Wash.

After taking down Arizona State in the first game of their weekend, WSU WBB extended their win streak to three when they took down Arizona 78-57. After the first quarter, WSU led by a slim margin, just 18-17. At the end of the first half, the score read 34-31. But, the second half was all Cougs.

A 21-point third quarter turned into a 23-point fourth quarter, where they allowed just 11 points, finishing with the Cougs winning  78-57.

Tara Wallack led the Cougs in scoring, scoring 8 points in the fourth quarter to finish off her 20-point, four-rebound performance. Wallack also had the highest plus-minus of any player on the court, leading the way with +22.

Despite Wallack shooting 50% (3-of-6) from deep, the team as a whole continued their recent struggles from beyond the arc. The team finished shooting 25% (6-of-24), with two players going oh-for with multiple attempts.

Most of the team’s scoring came from the five starters, but the bench contributed for 15 points, led by Jenna Villa with 11 points, one block and three rebounds.

Bella Murekatete scored the second-most points on the team, finishing with 16 on the night and a double-double as she pulled down 11 rebounds. With four offensive boards and three steals, she made a massive impact on the game overall from all levels of play.

WSU found success in many facets of the game, including holding Arizona to just 4 bench points, shooting 94% from the free-throw line, out-scoring the Wildcats in the paint 38–24 and having just six turnovers to Arizona’s 11.

Along with Jenna Villa, Murekatete and Wallack, two other Cougs finished in the double-digits. Charlisse Leger-Walker had 11 points, also finishing with a double-double as she dished out 11 assists. Five of Leger-Walker’s assists came in the final 10 minutes, as she was dishing out the rock into the pain on nearly every possession. Finally, Eleonora Villa finished with 10 points, adding four assists of her own.

At one point, WSU fell down by at most nine points, but the Cougs had a 10-0 run during the game and at one point held a lead as large of 23. With another win, WSU is now 14-5 ahead of their toughest stretch of the season.

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About the Contributor
BRANDON WILLMAN
BRANDON WILLMAN, Multimedia editor
Brandon Willman is a junior multimedia journalism student from Vancouver, Washington. He started working as a sportswriter for the Daily Evergreen in Fall 2022 and worked as copy editor in spring 2023. Brandon was elected to be the Editor-in-chief starting in summer 2023 and served in the position from May 2023 to February 2024 before transitioning to the role of multimedia editor. He enjoys watching sports, backpacking, and watching horror movies.