Last Thursday, the Cougs started a tough stretch with a loss to Portland which was followed by a heartbreaking three-point loss to Loyola Marymount. WSU then had to turn around for its third game in five days for a make-up game against Oregon State that the Beavers rescheduled.
Given the exhaustion and frustration in the early part of the stretch, losses could be expected, but the Cougs responded with back-to-back wins against both OSU and Pacific.
To finish the gauntlet, the Cougs play the West Coast Conference’s last place team, San Diego. The Toreros are 4-16 and have yet to win a WCC game.
WSU faced USD on the road for its first game as a WCC member back in mid-December. If the Cougs wanted to celebrate their introduction to a new conference, they definitely got what they wanted with a dominating 23-point blowout. WSU also had a block party in the first matchup, blocking a season-high 14 shots as a team that is third in the country in blocks per game.
USD is No. 299 in the NET rankings and has suffered 13 quad 4 losses. The Toreros have also yet to earn above a quad 4 win and half of their wins are against Division II opponents.
USD does not impress in one specific area on the court, but it boasts an experienced roster that is mostly upperclassmen. The team’s two leading scorers, guard Kylie Horstmeyer and forward Truitt Reilly, are a senior and graduate student, respectively. Horstmeyer averages 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds, and Reilly averages 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds as both players are solid rebounders for their height.
For Wazzu, defense has emerged as a significant part of the team’s identity, something the team can take advantage of against USD. The Toreros are last in the WCC in three-point shooting percentage at just 24%, which is also bottom 20 in all of Division I. USD also makes just 2.9 threes per game. The Cougs just held Pacific to 2-7 shooting from three and have consistently won games when they have taken away the three-point shot.
The Cougs again have the opportunity to dominate in the post, with size advantages across the board. The team’s field day with rim protection in terms of blocks and allowing 22.7% from the field in the first game gives plenty to be confident about heading into the teams’ second encounter.
Of course some of that interior defense relies on the presence of center Alex Covill, who was sidelined against Pacific after suffering a foot injury between the Monday and Thursday games. Head coach Kamie Ethridge described it as a lingering injury and her chances of returning soon are high.
As WSU wraps up a grueling stretch, Ethridge said her team’s grateful to have a bye coming up but the team continues to just work hard through the schedule.
“It has been a tough road for our team, fatiguing and yes, we recognize that, but it usually all works out,” Ethridge said. “Everybody has to kind of do the same thing but the reality is I think [the players] prefer the games over practice any day of the week. Again, that is why they train so hard and that we can get to play these games.”
WSU will face USD at noon Saturday at Beasley Coliseum.
