The WSU women’s basketball team did not take time to rest over Thanksgiving Break. The Cougars stayed in Pullman to take on the University of San Francisco and Oklahoma State before flying south for the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas.

The four-game series kicked off with a Friday victory in Beasley Coliseum over San Francisco. The Cougars ran a heavy defense on the Dons, holding San Francisco to 35 points for the game.

Senior forward Ivana Kmetovska put up a team high of 13 points for the Cougars, followed by sophomores forward Borislava Hristova and center Maria Kostourkova, who each contributed 11 points.

With all but three players putting up points for WSU, the Cougars ran over the Dons in a 73-35 win.

The Cougars lost their first game of the season the following Sunday, falling to Oklahoma State in overtime after a tight 72-79 game. Hristova and freshman guard Chanelle Molina put up a combined 32 points, just short of half of WSU’s final score.

Junior forward Louise Brown also made her second career double-double in the loss with 11 points and 16 rebounds, which was both the team high as well as Brown’s new career best.

The Cougars’ defense struggled to stop Oklahoma State’s junior center Kaylee Jensen, who scored the game-high of 29 points.

WSU shook off the loss and then hit the road for the weekend to participate in the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, where the Cougs bounced back from its loss to Oklahoma State with a victory over the University of Nebraska.

Brown carried the Coug’s momentum from the Oklahoma State game into the Shootout, leading the team in points with 16, as well as recording seven rebounds. Junior guard Pinelopi Pavlopoulou followed in scoring with 11 points for the game.

The Cougars’ continuous attacks led them to a 79-65 finish over the Huskers, picking up the team’s fourth win on the season.

WSU closed out the weekend in Vegas with a loss to No.5 University of Maryland. The lead flipped 12 times between the two teams, as each were quick to respond after one scored. Hristova put 25 points on the board for WSU.

Though several WSU players had strong games individually, the team was unable to slow down Maryland’s fast-paced offense and was outscored 69-79. The Cougars’ overall record dropped to (4-2) after the loss.

WSU will face the University of San Diego at 7 p.m. on Friday in Beasley Coliseum.

Reporting by Payton Dineen