The Cougs rounded out a grueling stretch of three games in five days on Monday with a 65-57 win over Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon. Wazzu dropped the previous two contests against Portland and LMU as the team struggled to gain its footing amidst the exhaustion of playing a gauntlet conference schedule.
Last Thursday, Portland presented the Cougs with one of their most unique opponents this season as the Pilots utilize a full-court press and a zone defense that has been causing problems for opponents all season. While WSU was not completely rattled by the scheme, it made every part of the game just enough harder to frustrate the team.
After Portland maintained a steady lead for most of the first half behind efficient three-point shooting, WSU cut their deficit to 29-34 at halftime. But in the second half, the Pilots did not look back.
An 11-2 run in the early stages of the third quarter pushed the lead to 17 for the Pilots before the Cougs managed to cut it down to nine by the quarter’s end. Still, Portland’s energy would overtake the Wazzu defense in the final period as the team quickly pushed the lead to 14 by just over the midway point of the quarter before topping out at a 20-point lead. Portland stole the show in of the Cougs’ best attended home games of the season, winning 83-65.
“We were trying different defensive schemes and I think on the fly it’s kind of hard to adjust,” foward Tara Wallack said. “But I think we were pretty tired but that shouldn’t be excuse for that kind of play.”
The Pilots were led by the trio of guard Emme Shearer and forwards Alexis Mark and Trista Hull. The top three scorers in the game combined for 63 points and 28 of the team’s 37 rebounds. Portland also shot 47.8% from three and made 20 free throws as WSU struggled to keep up the dynamic scoring of the Pilots.
Guard Eleonora Villa led the Cougs with 13 points while center Candance Kpetikou continues to make a name for herself off the bench, as she scored 12 points and grabbed six boards in just 16 minutes.
The Cougs then had a quick turnaround to Los Angeles where they faced off with struggling LMU. Guard Naudia Evans started the game off hot for the Lions, scoring 13 points in the first quarter alone. WSU has handled lower-tier West Coast Conference schools on most occasions so far, but LMU came in with more energy than the team was likely expecting.
In a high-scoring affair, the teams played it close throughout the first quarter with LMU holding a 20-19 lead after 10 minutes. WSU gave itself a small cushion after getting production from both its starters and its bench to lead by four at halftime. The team spread the wealth as eight different players notched points in the first half.
The Lions came roaring back with a game-high 25 points in the third quarter. The team found its rhythm through the dominance of Evans, who continued to create opportunities for her and her team to succeed. This translated to the free-throw line where LMU hit 15 of 18 attempts in the quarter and Evans hit nine of those free throws. Despite not sinking a single three-pointer, Evans’ 13 points sparked the Lions’ offensive surge.
The game remained a hotly-contested affair in the fourth-quarter as the team traded bucket after bucket. The Cougs knotted the score early at 59-59 with a three-pointer from guard Kyra Gardner before they regained the lead at 62-61 with a Villa free throw at just over eight minutes to go. It would be the last lead WSU would hold though, as LMU’s scoring field day would continue in the fourth.
The final minutes saw back-and-forth offense as the Lions tried to extend their lead while the Cougs aimed to retake the lead one last time. Wazzu cut the LMU lead to 74-73 with just over a minute to go on a three from Wallack before several Lions free throws put the lead back to four.
Guard Astera Tuhina hit a clutch shot from outside with ten seconds left after head coach Kamie Ethridge called a timeout to put the Cougs within one. A pair of free throws from guard Brandi Williams forced WSU to take a three on the last shot and after a final timeout Wallack heaved up a last-second shot that rimmed out as the Lions held on to win 79-76.
Evans had an outstanding 37 points, including 11 fee throws, as she put up the highest points total against the Cougs by a single opposing player this season. The Lions had three other scorers reach double-digits.
“I liked a lot of things we did, we just aren’t good enough defensively,” Ethridge said. “They just pounded our chest and went through us. They lived at the free throw line and again this was a defensive thing not an offensive thing. So life on the road, it is hard to get wins and this team was really motivated.”
WSU had four double-digit scorers as well, but none eclipsed 13 points. Totals of 22 fouls and 19 turnovers were too tough of an obstacle for the Cougs to overcome as the Lions took advantage at seemingly every opportunity.
Already exhausted from two games in three days, Wazzu went into Corvallis, Oregon, on Monday desperately needing a win to swing the momentum back in the team’s favor. Fortunately, the team had a much-needed offensive explosion brewing that came out of nowhere in the second quarter to push the Cougs to victory over Oregon State.
After a relatively tame first quarter that saw the Cougs holding onto a 15-12 lead, WSU came out strong in the second and finished the quarter with a 27-point performance in one of the best 10-minute streches of the season. The offensive surge came about in part because of a 7-9 three-point shooting output and a 13-2 run in the middle of the quarter. Wazzu also held OSU to just nine points in the quarter.
The third quarter saw both teams slow down the tempo as the Beavers outscored the Cougs just 13-12. With a 20-point lead entering the fourth, WSU looked in prime position to come away victorious, but OSU was not done yet.
The Beavers went on a 13-2 run to open the final frame and continued to push the pace until the very end. The Cougs’ lead was just three points with just over a minute to go and Ethridge would need to call timeouts in that final minute to make sure her team would secure the victory. Thanks to five straight points from Tuhina and a clutch layup by Gardner, WSU would close it out with an eight-point victory.
Despite the strong finish, Ethridge said her team had a lot to learn from the fourth quarter breakdown.
“When you lose momentum sometimes you feel the pressure and all of a sudden they make a two but it feels like it was worth six points and then that gets you down and that gets you nervous,” Ethridge said. “So there’s a lot to learn with our young team.”
No one on either team truly stood above the rest, but Wallack had the best all-around game for Wazzu. She had 12 points and six rebounds, while blocking three shots and stealing two. Guard Caterina Ferreira had a similar performance for the Beavers, scoring 13 points to go along with seven rebounds, 4 steals and a block.
The Cougs will return home Thursday to face off against Pacific after three consecutive away games.