“You know talk about rally, I just thought our first half and the passion that we played for and I think that was all due to the respect that [Tara Wallack] has from her teammates and how much they wanted to win for her and play for her,” WSU head coach Kamie Ethridge said.

The Cougars (18-12, 13-6) did indeed rally, this time to celebrate their one and only senior, Wallack, with a victory, defeating Saint Mary’s (13-14, 9-9) 72-62. With the win, WSU clinched the third seed in the West Coast Conference tournament, but the team was motivated and energized by the chance to honor their team leader.

“Again I think it’s a step in the right direction for our team that we’re getting better in those areas and better defensively and better at making winning plays and just being more concentrated. I think that’s due to the concentration that they had to make sure that we got a win for for Tara.”

The Cougs played with grit, heart and determination, never letting the foot off the gas. After the Saint Mary’s got the game’s first two buckets, WSU quickly responded with a 13-2 run before the Gaels closed the gap to 18-15 to end the first quarter.

WSU would continue the momentum into the second quarter as junior guard Astera Tuhina hit back-to-back three-pointers early before finishing the quarter with eight points. The Cougs shot the ball with efficiency and limited mistakes, finishing 61.5% on field goals in the quarter and only committing five turnovers in the first half. WSU outscored Saint Mary’s 20-10 in the second quarter.

The team’s youthful energy and inspiration from Wallack continued to shine through in the second half as key young contributors like forward Dayana Mendes and guard Charlotte Abraham led the way. Abraham scored all 10 of her points in the second half as the Cougs pushed the lead up to as much as 20 in the fourth quarter.

After letting up the biggest lead of the game, Saint Mary’s went on a 15-5 run to end the game. It was all too little too late as the cheers began reigning for the crowd and were topped off when Wallack was subbed out with just over 30 seconds left in what was likely her last home game as a Coug. Wallack slowly hugged her coaches and teammates, with the longest embrace being saved for Ethridge, as she struggled to fight back tears.

The Cougs closed out the victory on day a meant to celebrate. Wallack finished with 12 points while Mendes had a field day down low, scoring 16 points, grabbing six rebounds and sinking 10 free throws. Tuhina had a strong all-around game with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. Guard Kyra Gardner also added three blocks, with her block in the third quarter breaking the single-season team record at 187 after setting the record just a season ago.

Saint Mary’s guard Zeryhia Aokuso who notched 17 points and three steals. The Gaels struggled to rebound, only grabbing 28 boards to the Cougs’ 34, and struggled with efficiency due to playing from behind for most of the game. Saint Mary’s shot 40.7% overall and only made three shots from beyond the arc.

The day was emotional for Wallack and the entire team from the pregame locker room to the Senior Day ceremony before the game. Ethridge said she typically writes a letter for seniors and reads it to the team before Senior Day games.

“I said in the note, it’s just like her big eyes tell the story whether she’s happy you can see it in her smile and her eyes, or if she’s happy-sad and pools of tears are coming down,” Ethridge said. “That’s kind of where we were the entire talk and you just have your young ones watching her be touched by listening to her story.”

Wallack said the moment meant a lot to her, but she expressed confidence herself now given her development and how far she has come.

“I had a dream of going D-I being from Canada and I’m just so proud of myself for accomplishing that and being as successful as I am and growing my game,” Wallack said. “Coach [Ethridge] always makes jokes about me being a one-dimensional player entering the program and now I can play any position on the court, guard any position on the court and I think it’s just so special. They gave me so much room to grow and I’m just so grateful forever that they gave me this experience and I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else.”

With a potential class of just three seniors next year, Tuhina stands out as the next clear leader of the Cougar squad. Regardless of the inability to replace Wallack and the roster’s structure, Tuhina’s experience and command of the offense opens an excellent opportunity to lead next season.

“I feel like being with her all day throughout this season has taught me a lot,” Tuhina said. “I can’t imagine what she had to go through being the only senior, but I feel like now this year I’m kind of prepared for it, I know what she went through so I kind of know how to act in different situations. It’s still going to be hard…having to lead a young team, it’s never easy, but that’s what we have to do.”

After the game, Wallack took a moment to look back to her freshman self and reflect on the last four years in a team that she had become more invested in year after year as she solidified herself as a program cornerstone.

“I think she was just a shy girl who didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to talk in practice, barely shot, was tired after one down-and-back and now I’m a confident young woman who’s going to enter the real world,” Wallack said. “I’m just so happy and my growth has shown over these past four years so I would tell my freshman self to just keep going and don’t give up.”

Ethridge said that Wallack will always be beloved as a Coug and that not everyone can finish their career admired and adored.

“I will forever admire her, respect her and speak of her as fondly as we ever can because she is true and true a Coug and and will be forever,” Ethridge said.

The Wallack celebrations will continue the rest of the way, but the team’s attention now turns to their last regular season game and fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament, a feat that would be the cherry on top of Wallack’s storied career.

WSU will travel to Malibu, California, next to play the Pepperdine Waves on Thursday before getting a weekend bye and automatic placement in the WCC tournament quarterfinals starting March 9.