Turning up the heat; Women’s basketball goes on the road against UCSB

The Cougars women’s basketball team once again heads towards sunny skies, this time in Santa Barbara. Coming off of a historic win against the No. 8 team in the nation on the road in Puerto Rico, the Cougars are hungry to maintain their success. WSU (5-2) will have that opportunity on Thursday against the UC Santa Barbra Gauchos (0-6).

The Cougars must not overlook UCSB and their winless record. This game will be valuable for the coaching staff to help keep the momentum going, and give the younger players on the team more minutes.

Coming off of a hand injury, junior guard Galdeira seems to be getting healthy and her play reflects that. In the victory over No. 8 Maryland, Galdeira scored 33 points.

“Not only was (Galdeira) scoring well, she was also defending well and moving well without the basketball,” Daugherty said. “She sometimes draws two defenders away and that opens up the middle for us.”

Senior guard Tia Presley says she gains momentum from the play of Galdeira.

“When (Galdeira) is playing really well, I feed off of it,” Presley said. “I think the same when I’m playing well, she does the same thing, so it’s been great playing with Lia.”

Maryland, a final four team last season, features an electric offense. Daugherty focused on defense this offseason and that focus is paying off this year. The Cougars quieted the Terps for most of the game. The effort and relentless defense the Cougars have shown will suit them well in the tough Pac-12 Conference.

One of the cornerstones WSU’s revamped defense is senior center Shalie Dheensaw. Dheensaw has been a force early in the season down low. She has not only been a scoring threat, but also clogs up the key and makes it difficult for any opponent’s offensive production.

“We were not rotating on defense,” Dheensaw said after losses this year. “When our defense does not talk or move they get easy buckets.”

The Cougs will need to communicate and shut down the Gauchos attack on offense if they want to keep UCSB winless.

“Defense has been an area of concentration since the end of post-season play,” Daugherty continued. “I think the players are understanding our true identity this season is playing hard defensively. When we do that really for things happen and a lot of success will happen in this program.”

In years past the Cougars have come off of big wins only to drop the next game. The coaching staff has been harping on the players to not get to high and not get to low. According to Daugherty it has been one of the main focusses this week before taking on the Gauchos.

“We will have to be ready for Santa Barbara. They are athletic and hungry. They are quick and are starting to establish a strong inside game. We have to go out and use every opportunity to improve as a team,” Daugherty said.

Daugherty is not taking the Gauchos lightly, despite their winless record. Look for the Cougs to start off strong and give the younger players solid minutes off the bench in the second half.

The Cougs and Gauchos tip-off at 4 p.m.