It was a back-and-forth game with 11 lead changes throughout the night, but WSU made just four of their 20 attempted shots in the final quarter and ultimately fell 64-56 to University of Gonzaga on Wednesday.

The game was tied at 43 going into the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs scored 21 points in the final frame to win the game. In the last four minutes, Gonzaga (5-3) outscored WSU (5-5) by five points to extend their lead and leave Pullman with a victory.

WSU Head Coach June Daugherty said her team could have played better in the final 10 minutes of the game.

“As a team we shot 20 percent [in the fourth quarter]. That’s pathetic,” Daugherty said. “You got to be able to use the glass and make those easy shots, that’s just not focused basketball.”

The Bulldogs shot 45.7 percent from the field and made six of their nine attempted three-pointers on the night. The Cougars shot 28 percent from the field and only made three of their 22 attempted shots from behind the three-point line on the night.

Redshirt sophomore forward Borislava Hristova, the Cougars’ leading scorer on the night, played most of the game in foul trouble after picking up two fouls in the opening minutes of the game. The Pac-12’s No. 2 scorer finished the game with 13 points and eight rebounds.

“I feel like we needed to learn our [scouting report] better because that would have helped us prevent those fouls,” Hristova said. “That’s something we should take to the next games.”

Gonzaga dealt with a similar dilemma, as redshirt junior forward Jill Barta came down with an injury and missed almost the entire second half. She scored 15 points in 13 minutes of action for the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga junior forward Zykera Rice stepped up with Barta out of the game. She finished with 19 points, 13 of which came in the second half.

“They got presented with a real tough situation with Barta going down like she did,” Daugherty said. “Their kids rallied and played small-ball and they found a way to get back in the flow.”

The Cougs had 28 offensive rebounds, but only converted 11 points off those second chances. WSU also forced a season-high 26 turnovers, with senior guard Caila Hailey snatching five steals and taking three charges. She also added nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

Hailey said the players let their performance on offense affect their play on the other end of the court.

“We kind of let our missed shots dictate the way we played on defense,” Hailey said. “We need to stay composed and stay focused on defense.”

The Bulldogs beat the Cougars for the second-straight season and walked out of Beasley Coliseum with a win for the third time in school history. WSU’s next game is Dec. 18 at Boise State University.