WSU women’s basketball defeated Boise State 95-71 on Saturday afternoon in Beasley Coliseum.

The Cougars (4-4) extended their winning streak to three games and their 95 points is tied for the 10th most they have ever scored in a single game. This is the first time in program history the Cougars have recorded 90-plus points in back-to-back games after scoring 91 points against San Francisco on Thursday.

Head Coach Kamie Ethridge said the effort shown was exactly what she has been wanting to see.

“We came out and they just played unbelievably hard, maybe for a full game for the first time this year,” Ethridge said.

WSU started out the game by taking the lead and did not look back. The Cougar defense forced multiple Bronco turnovers and shots with seconds left on the shot clock. WSU kept Boise State from scoring until there was under six minutes remaining in the first quarter.

WSU finished the first quarter converting 12 out of its 16 field goal attempts  to lead 30-15 over the Broncos.

Junior guard Chanelle Molina said they played hard from the start and the defense was disrupting the Boise State offense.

“We handled the ball really well when they pressured us and we got the ball moving really well on offense,” Molina said.

The Cougars would continue to control the rest of the game. WSU would have its longest scoring run of 20 points and its largest lead of 31 points in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, WSU was plagued by miscommunication errors helping the Broncos secure their best field goal percentage in a quarter during the game. But that would not be enough to stop the Cougars, who led 72-49 at the end of the third quarter.

WSU’s defense held Boise State to a 35.1 field goal percentage and 25.9 percent from behind the three-point line. The Cougars finished the game with a season-best field goal percentage of 55.4 percent and a 56.5 three-point percentage.

Senior guard Alexys Swedlund said the team has been trying to find itself this year and thinks this is a huge step for the team going forward.

“I think tonight was about the team and I think that we made a transition tonight where everybody contributed,” she said. “Everybody played their best and I think this is a start.”

The Cougars hit 13 three-pointers, tied for fourth-most in program history. The last time WSU knocked down 13 three-pointers was almost two years ago. The team also had 26 assists, which is tied for the sixth-most in WSU history.

Senior center Maria Kostourkova recorded 12 rebounds, nine points and four assists. Ethridge said Kostourkova’s effort really helped the team at the beginning of the game.

“I loved her game,” Ethridge said, “and then the fact that she ran the floor and got an easy layup and made a couple other baskets.”

Swedlund recorded a career-high 24 points. Redshirt junior forward Borislava Hristova recorded her eighth-straight double-digit point output and her second 30-point game this season. It was also her fourth career 30 point game.

“It’s always just fun to do this with them, and the rest will just take care of itself,” Hristova said. “Wins, losses, you know, we’re just going to get through it.”

The Cougars will head north to Spokane to face off against Gonzaga at 2 p.m. Sunday at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Both Hristova and Molina said playing with consistency is one thing the team needs to improve on before they face the Bulldogs.