After beating Seattle University yesterday 80-58, WSU continued its now four-game win streak by beating Pacific 82-76 in round two of the WCC Tournament.
Washington State built an early lead and controlled the game for much of the afternoon. The Cougars led 19-8 after the first quarter and extended the advantage to 37-18 at halftime.
It was not an easy afternoon as the halftime score may make you think. Starting center Alex Covill fouled out in 13 minutes and Charlotte Abraham fouled out in the second half.
However, with WSU out-scoring Pacific 37-18 at halftime, the Tigers looked down the barrel of the Cougar shotgun. Pacific made a strong push in the second half, scoring 27 points in the third quarter and 31 in the fourth. The Tigers nearly came back after being down 23 to just seven.
Head coach Kamie Ethridge mentioned that her team understood that Pacific would not go away quietly. She highlighted that games in tournament play often come down to execution and toughness in the final minutes.
“There are no easy games this time of year,” Ethridge said. “You know teams are going to make runs, especially a team like Pacific that can score like that. I thought our group stayed composed and made the plays we needed late.”
Guard Eleonora Villa continued to be the X-factor for WSU’s offense. Villa scored 22 points with seven assists. She mentioned how the team focused on staying together as Pacific chipped away at their double digit lead.
“We just tried to stay together and keep doing what we had been doing,” Villa said. “They made a run, but we trusted each other and trusted our system.”
Forward Keandra Koorits said the team’s early defensive effort helped create the cushion that allowed the Cougars to withstand Pacific’s second-half rally.
“We came out with a lot of energy defensively,” Koorits said. “That really helped us build the lead and it gave us something to hold onto when they started scoring.”
Washington State now officially moves onto round three of the WCC Tournament. They will play the University of Portland March 7 in Las Vegas.
