The Cougs took the lead four seconds into the game and never let it go.

WSU women’s basketball (14-5, 3-3 Pac-12) beat Arizona State  (9-10, 1-6) 79-64 Friday night at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougs jumped out to an 18-0 lead over five  minutes into the first quarter and cruised to the finish line behind 16 points each from freshman guard Eleonora Villa and senior center Bella Murekatete.

To begin the game, Murekatete leaped and tapped the ball right into Charlisse Leger-Walker’s hands for the tip-off. Four seconds later, Leger-Walker put the ball up and off the glass for the game’s opening points.

Following a pair of Murekatete and Beyonce Bea free throws, Eleonora Villa passed the ball directly into Tara Wallack’s hands. Upon receiving the ball, a wide-open Wallack sent the ball soaring toward the hoop. All ASU could do was charge toward Wallack in an attempt to defend. Right before the ball left Wallack’s hands, ASU made contact with Wallack’s arm, setting her up for a 4-point play via the and-1.

The Cougars wrapped up their 18-0 opening run with four of their 40 total layups. Murekatete made two, fifth-year transfer Beyonce Bea made one and freshman center Alex Covill made another to put the Cougs up 18-0 after 5:12.

“We really did try to motivate our players to run hard and our posts in Bella took it to heart because she was like ‘I can go get some easy baskets’ and we looked for it we got it early,” head coach Kamie Ethridge said.

The Sun Devils got on the board thanks to Jaylen Brown’s pair of free throws and layup. The devil was in the details for Brown, who paced her team with 21 points despite shooting 6-of-13 from the floor and missing all four of her 3-point attempts. While a decent shooting performance, Brown made half a dozen trips to the charity stripe and made 9-of-12 shots.

The Cougs could not keep the Sun Devils at zero forever. The Sun Devils went on a 14-6 run to end the first quarter and begin the second. Although the Cougars’ lead technically shrunk to 10 with 7:35 left in the second, the Cougs were still very well in the driver’s seat.

“It’s basketball that we knew that were going to make runs,” Murekatete said.

Less than a month into Bea’s WSU career, she scored her 2,000th career point following a four-year career as Idaho’s second-leading scorer.

Bea spent time on the bench because of injury, but because of winter break only missed two games. She has been back at starting forward for the Cougs since Jan. 5.

Bea averages 7.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Leading up to the ASU game, Bea had scored double figures in six out of 15 games.

Friday night, Bea scored 9 points with a 4-for-5 clip from the floor. She particularly impressed with back-to-back baskets in the second quarter.

As ASU attempted to catch up, Murekatete, freshman Jenna Villa, Leger-Walker and Eleonora Villa took the ball inside and found the basket via layup or foul.

The third quarter is typically the Cougs’ strongest quarter. While they did not replicate their 22-6 first quarter, the Cougs outscored the Sun Devils 21-16. Leger-Walker, Wallack and Eleonora Villa each found the net from deep.

With 10 minutes to go, WSU led by 17.

The fourth quarter was the Villa show as the freshmen duo combined for 11 fourth-quarter points. Jenna Villa scored 6 and Eleonora Villa scored 5 with another 3-point shot.

While the freshmen capped off a solid night with an impressive final 10 minutes, the seniors dazzled.

With 6:45 on the clock, Leger-Walker took a pass from Jenna Villa and immediately sent the ball darting toward Murekatete, who transitioned from setting a screen for Jenna Villa’s pass to running up an open lane to the basket. Murekete took the quick pass from Leger-Walker and sent the ball up and off the glass for the layup. The Cougars executed the look to perfection and had a 16-point lead to show for it.

With sophomore guard Astera Tuhina out, the Cougs have had to place a greater burden on Eleonora Villa.

“In every practice, I try to like not stay in my comfort zone and try to learn something new from my teammates,” Eleonora Villa said.

Murekatete said Eleonora Villa deserves credit for how she plays the game.

This is a higher competition, but Ele is that girl and every game she just came out and she’s proven that she is that girl,” Murekatete said. “Ele was born for this.”

While on-court communication and the growing pains of leading a Pac-12 offense have challenged her, she has stepped up to make incredible plays and decisions and positively impact the Cougars.

“Well, Ela could get a bucket whenever she wants to,” Murekate said. “She brings a lot of things I would never had in the past so I’m just so happy I get to play with her and get to see how she where she goes over the years.”

The Cougs protected their home court against a Pac-12 Conference opponent. Although fans may have expected the Cougs to easily win against the Pac-12 cellular dweller who was looking for their first win, the idea that anyone in the Pac-12 could beat anyone was reinforced in Seattle, Sunday when ASU beat Washington 73-65.

WSU completed a Pac-12 basketball weekend with a 78-57 win over Arizona.

“You have to take care of home court and you have to come out with great energy and not let someone walk on your court and play harder than you,” Ethridge said.