If there was any bitterness left in the mouth after the Cougs’ loss to Gonzaga last Saturday, it was all but washed away Thursday with an impressive 16-point victory over San Francisco.
In the first contest of a two-game California road trip, WSU picked up an important win against a team that was tied for first place in the conference standings, only separated by overall record. Four of the Cougs’ first seven WCC games have been double-digit victories, a good sign for a consistent presence at the top of the standings.
Wazzu got off to an electric start in the first quarter, going on a 16-3 run in the first six minutes of the game behind a pair of three-pointers from both guard Jenna Villa and forward Tara Wallack. The Cougs would hold the Dons to just one point and no field goals in the initial four minutes of action before holding them to just eight points in the quarter overall. USF went 3-for-15 from the field in the first quarter. The Cougs had one of their strongest quarters of the season with 25 points while going 5-for-7 from three. Wallack scored 10 of those points.
After the hot start, Wazzu did not slow down. The Cougs opened the second quarter with a couple of three-pointers and Alex Covill buckets to jump out to a game-high 28-point lead by the halfway point of the quarter. Villa continued her strong performance, scoring eight of her 14 first-half points in the second period. The Cougs entered the half with a 45-21 lead.
“I think we’re pretty decent three-point shooters but it’s all about rhythm, movement, timing, spacing and and sharing the ball at the right time,” WSU head coach Kamie Ethridge said. “We did a lot better against them in the first half.”
In the second half, WSU slowed down the pace, and rightfully so. Despite USF having its best quarter of the game with a 20-point output, the Cougs still held a 19-point lead entering the final frame. The team’s scoring leader this season, guard Eleonora Villa, scored eight points on four layups in the quarter as the team continued to spread the wealth.
“Couldn’t have been happier with the first half,” Ethridge said. “We gave them a little bit in the second quarter, but obviously it’s their home and they’re going to respond the right way. They have a lot of pride, they gave us more trouble in the second half and we cooled off. It kind of is what happens when you make everything and then you think it’s going to be that easy.”
The Dons outscored the Cougs again in the fourth, but it was too little too late. WSU closed the game with a convincing 74-58 win to solidify its spot at the top of the conference. The Cougs are now tied with both Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga for first place, with a head-to-head advantage over Saint Mary’s but a disadvantage under Gonzaga. WSU still has the second game of both season series remaining.
The Cougs had three players score in the double-digits and Wallack continued to back her near double-double averages with 16 points and nine rebounds. She also had two blocks and two steals. Covill was also a heavy contributor on defense with four blocks.
Guard Astera Tuhina, who has been dealing with a lingering illness for the past two weeks, returned to form with her role as the lead distributor, dishing out seven assists.
WSU took a season-high 32 threes, a season-high, but made ten by the game’s end. A fiery first quarter canceled out any shooting efficiency that came back down to earth, allowing the Cougs to cruise the rest of the way. Wallack and Villa, the team’s leaders in minutes played, received some needed breaks in the game with 34 minutes and 26 minutes, respectively. Both players had two full-game outings within the previous four games as the team was continuously forced to rely on its top scoring options.
USF shot 36% from the field and 18% from three in the game. The Dons also had 16 turnovers. While working from behind for almost the entire game, guard Angeliki Ziaka scored 20 points on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting. The freshman was the Dons’ only strong offensive performer in the game as guard Freja Werth was the next highest scorer at 10 points and the bench only scored 12 points.
The Cougs will round out their road trip looking for revenge at Santa Clara on Saturday at 2 p.m. after dropping their first matchup by just six points at Beasley Coliseum.
