WSU women’s basketball starts its season at 4-0 for the fifth time in school history following a 71-61 win over the California State University, Northridge Matadors on Sunday in Pullman.

This is the first time since time since the 2015-2016 season that the Cougars are off to such a hot start and a lot of it has to do with the play from the seniors late in the game. Last season, the Cougars lost 65-52 to the Matadors (1-5) in Northridge, California.

Senior guard Chanelle Molina had a season-highs in three categories on Sunday. Molina posted 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. She scored 11 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter when WSU trailed by two.

In a postgame press conference head coach Kamie Ethridge said they put a lot of trust in Molina going into the final quarter of play because they know what she can do as a point guard.

“She has got such a great feel for the game,” Ethridge said. “When you combine that obviously with her talent, and her grit, and her competitiveness and her wanting to show up for her teammates in any given situation, you just get a kid that makes big plays.”

Redshirt senior forward Borislava Hristova scored 21 points for her fourth consecutive game with over 20 points. Hristova also hauled in eight rebounds.

Both Molina and Hristova played all 40 minutes of the contest. This was the first game of the season that either of them played a game in its entirety.

Ethridge said the early success her team has seen this season has to do with the fact they are at a different level in practice then they were last year, and the team is proving its growth by winning the games.

“I think that’s a reflection that we’re better than we were a year ago.” Ethridge said in a postgame press conference.

Up next for the Cougars is the 2019 Paradise Jam Tournament, which will take place in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands. In the tournament, WSU is set to play three games against No. 2 Baylor, No. 5 South Carolina and No. 17 Indiana in three straight days.

The first game will be against Baylor (5-0) at 2:45 p.m. PST on Thursday in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands.