The Cougs capitalized on their momentum Thursday, winning five of their first six WCC games with a nine-point win at Saint Mary’s College of California after starting the season 5-6.
In a week with a pair of contests separated by a single day, the Cougs started by traveling to Moraga, Calif., to face SMC. The game remained fairly tight through the first half as the Cougs were down just 36-31 at halftime. The Gaels were led by forward Maia Jones, the team’s season-leading scorer, who had nine points. Center Alex Covill had a strong first-half performance for WSU getting eight points, all on layups in the paint.
Guard Charlotte Abraham went down halfway through the quarter when she was tripped and fouled by Jones on a three-point shot attempt. After the game, head coach Kamie Ethridge described the injury as “devastating” and said the team’s thoughts were focused on Abraham. The standout freshman suffered an apparent leg injury and Ethridge said Saturday that Abraham had an MRI Friday night and she was expecting the results any time.
After a layup by SMC guard Jada Hunter opened the third quarter, the Wazzu offense finally gained momentum and blew the door open. The team went on an 11-0 run behind two three-pointers by the Cougs’ two leading scorers, guard Eleonora Villa and forward Tara Wallack. Villa sparked the WSU offense with a stellar quarter, notching 10 points while the Cougs outscored the Gaels 20-9 in the quarter. SMC shot 26.7% from the field despite taking 15 shots, the most of any quarter for the team. The third quarter was both the Gaels’ worst scoring and shooting efficiency quarter.
SMC opened scoring in the fourth quarter with a Jones layup, but both teams struggled to create any offensive momentum, as the next field goal from either team would not come until the midway point of the quarter. The Gaels tried to make up ground while keeping pace with the Cougs, but the team produced another low-scoring quarter and suffered from a pair of quick scoring surges by WSU. In the final five minutes, the Cougs had separate 7-0 and 6-0 runs to put the game out of reach. WSU would go on to secure the victory, winning 66-57.
Neither team shot above 42% from the field or 31% from three, but the Cougs’ winning formula came through their ability to control the boards. For a team that is outrebounded by over four rebounds a game on average, winning the rebounding battle 42-26 was a huge boost. A total of 17 offensive rebounds produced 15 second-chance points, making the SMC defense work extra hard to slow down Wazzu.
Ethridge said she thought Covill had a good presence in the paint, but switching to forward Dayana Mendes in the second half is what allowed the defense to improve.
“It’s a hard matchup for Alex to guard snipers or drivers like they have so there were some mismatches for her having to guard them,” Ethridge said. “I thought when we put [Mendes] in the second half we could switch so much. She can guard, she doesn’t need help and I think she’s a big part of that [defense].”
Villa and Wallack struggled early, scoring just five points combined before combining for 22 in the second half. The pair continued to play heavy minutes and were the team’s two leading scorers once again. Villa led with 16 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists, while Wallack added 11 points and seven rebounds. Both contributed on defense as well with two steals and two blocks, respectively.
Ethridge said despite guard Astera Tuhina not feeling her best and Villa getting banged up, she was happy with how her team pushed through and played defense.
“I mean [Villa’s] got a busted lip and she’s got a scratch on her neck like she’s been in a little catfight,” Ethridge said. “But she handled herself. Tara was amazing even if she wasn’t having a great offensive night. I thought her presence in the middle of the zone and getting the ball where it needed to be and again just overall her presence it’s a calming effect and it’s good for us.”
Jones and guard Kennedy Johnson were active on both ends of the floor for the Gaels. Jones had 11 points and five steals while Johnson had 10 points and four steals. The pair’s steals made up nine of the team’s 12 total and they were the only players to record double-digit points for SMC.
WSU moved into a first-place tie with San Francisco in the WCC standings at 5-1 in conference play before taking on Gonzaga last Saturday.