Things were going well for the Cougs, Sunday in Los Angeles. Almost…too well.
For the second straight year, Wazzu left Los Angeles with a win over UCLA in Pauley Pavilion. The Cougs’ upset of the No. 2 UCLA Bruins is their highest-ranked win in program history, but the Cougs do not leave Los Angeles without a loss that will weigh heavily on the program for the remainder of the season.
In a rematch of the Pac-12 Championship, WSU women’s basketball (15-6, 4-4 Pac-12) beat No. 2 UCLA (16-3, 5-3) 85-82, despite losing Charlisse Leger-Walker to injury in the third quarter.
“Hanging on in the midst of that kind of game and losing you know, your best player and on the road, I don’t really care how it ended up. We hung on and we got it and the fact that we were 16 is just pretty awesome. I mean, we’ve probably played as good of basketball as we’ve played all year and that first half,”head coach Kamie Ethridge said.
Leger-Walker, the three-time All-American and Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award finalist, was helped off the court with 7:30 left in the third quarter. Leger-Walker was one-on-one challenging a Bruin beneath the basket during a layup attempt when her leg appeared to give out from her. She walked off the court with the assistance of two people and received medical attention behind the Cougars’ bench for the remainder of the game.
Leger-Walker had 17 points through 19 minutes on the court.
Ethridge said she did not have an official update following the game. On Wednesday, the team announced she would miss the remainder of the 2023–24 season.
“I am saddened to confirm the knee injury to Charlisse Leger-Walker is season-ending,” Ethridge said in a press release.
Bella Murekatete celebrated the Championship rematch with 20 points and seven rebounds. The Cougs relied on Murekatete early as they usually do. The senior center had 8 points in the first quarter as Murekatete created plenty of paint opportunities scoring with layups and mid-range strokes and prevented plenty more opportunities on the other end of the floor.
Ethridge said, Murekatete left the USC game determined to play better.
“That is Bella! That is her level of play and our competitiveness. She was so focused on this game,” Ethridge said. “She just had a determination. Charlisse, the leader of our team. I think they had this team ready. I think they were not going to be the same team that played USC. And again, credit to senior leadership.”
The Cougs started fast and led 19-17 after the first quarter with 8 points from Murekatete, 4 from Leger-Walker and a Krya Gardner 3-pointer.
In the second quarter, Londynn Jones gave the Bruins their fifth lead of the game with a 3-pointer before Leger-Walker sank a three of her own to put the Cougs up 22-20.
Leger-Walker scored 11 points in the second quarter with two 3-pointers. The Cougs outscored UCLA 27-13 in the second quarter, building a 16-point halftime lead.
Following a Cougar turnover to open the third quarter, Leger-Walker and the Cougs appeared to have picked up right where they left off as Leger-Walker snagged a rebound and found a bucket on the other end of the floor.
Then, with 7:30 to go in the third quarter, Leger-Walker left the game with injury.
Freshman Jenna Villa entered the game in her place. Villa scored 7 points and did not miss a shot (2-for-2 with one 3-pointer and 2-for-2 from the free throw line).
Leger-Walker, who had forced two turnovers, was a huge defensive presence for the Cougs, holding UCLA to 17 and 13 points in the first and second quarters. UCLA scored 23 points in the third quarter and used a full fourth quarter without Leger-Waker on the floor to light up the Cougs with 29 points.
Despite the Bruins’ scoring surge, the Cougs held onto the lead.
Wazzu led by 12 at the end of the third and combated the Bruins’ four 3-pointers from three different players in the fourth quarter by getting to the free-throw line nine times. Tara Wallack made nine free throws as part of a 14-point day in which 12 points came from the free throw line.
“She’s just taken upon herself to find ways to get to the rim,” Ethridge said.
With 4:41 remaining in the game, Charisma Osborne sank a 3-pointer to cut the Cougar lead to four. Osborne scored 20 points at an 8-for-18 clip.
Wallack free throws, a Jenna Villa jumper, a Gardner jumper, Eleonora Villa free throws and Murekatete free throws kept the Cougs in front despite UCLA out-scoring Wazzu 14-13 in the final 4:41.
WSU held on for the win with freshman Eleonora Villa scoring 18 points with very little experience in the point guard role.
“I’m not gonna tell her the weight of the world is on her, so we’re just gonna keep that quiet but you know, amazing performance for a freshman, amazing performance for someone that really hasn’t played point guard and just steps into the moment,” Ethridge said.
In the second half, WSU spent a lot of time with three underclassmen on the floor as Eleonora Villa stepped up in the absence of Astera Tuhina, who continued to be out with injury but is eyeing a return as soon as next weekend and Leger-Walker, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Wazzu’s pair of in-state recruits, freshman Jenna Villa and sophomore Krya Gardner each scored 7 points in their extended time on the floor.
“I don’t think people will look at us and go, we’re overwhelmingly talented, but we just get the right kids with the right competitiveness,” Ethridge said.
Last year, WSU won its first game in Pauley Pavilion in program history. Ten days later the Cougs were Pac-12 Champions after beating UCLA again, this time in Las Vegas in the Pac-12 Tournament Final.
This year’s win in Pauley Pavilion carries even greater significance with it being the highest-ranked win in program history for the Cougs.
“We haven’t talked a lot this year about doing things for the first time. So again, this is one of those we were doing something for the first time,” Ethridge said. “So we love doing things like that, which haven’t been done in our program’s history. You know, so all of that and then it should build some confidence in what we can accomplish. But it’s all a little tampered. You know, it’s all a little bittersweet. You know, we’ve all got to regroup and we’ve got to find a way to play without Charlisse Leger-Walker.”
WSU returns to Beasley Coliseum at 7 p.m. Friday to face No. 6 Colorado.
