Cougars drop Dons by 30 points

WSU dominates game by forcing 28 turnovers, scoring 91 points in win

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KIERSTEN BUTTERWORTH | THE DAILY EVERGREEN

Junior guard Chanelle Molina goes up for a shot Thursday night at Beasley Coliseum.

SIGMUND SEROKA, Evergreen reporter

WSU women’s basketball captured a 30-point victory over the San Francisco Dons on Thursday night by a final score of 91-61.

The Cougars led the entire duration of the game and maintained a constant physical presence on defense. Forcing a total of 28 turnovers, at least one from every player on the Dons roster, the team was able to keep pressure on San Francisco.

“We have been getting better as of late with guarding the ball,” WSU Head Coach Kamie Ethridge said, “and getting in passing lanes and I think you can really see that translate into easy buckets on the other end of the floor for us.”

WSU’s defensive pressure showed throughout the first half as the Cougars scored most of its points from fast break opportunities. Leading the charge for this offensive surge was junior guard Chanelle Molina.

Molina had 28 points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals in the game. Redshirt junior forward Borislava Hristova helped by tallying 20 points, four assists, six rebounds and three steals.

Nearly every time the Dons scored, WSU followed with a basket of its own. The Cougars managed to build their lead off runs that continued even after San Francisco called a timeout.

At halftime the Cougars were up 61-26.

WSU’s game plan coming in was to stay aggressive on defense and maintain a rhythm on offense to find the easiest shot, Molina said.

“We really tried to make sure we kept the ball moving on offense and did our best to get open around screens and cut to the hoop,” she said.

WSU will be looking to keep up its defensive intensity and slow down the Boise State Broncos at 1 p.m. Saturday in Beasley Coliseum.