In a game of runs, the Arizona women’s basketball team couldn’t catch Washington State down the stretch.
Washington State upset No. 19 UA (16-5, 6-4 Pac-12) 70-59 on Sunday afternoon before 7,502 fans at McKale Center. The Cougars (15-8, 5-5) went on a 10-2 run to start the game and added a 9-0 spurt to begin the second half.
“The Cougars came in here and outplayed us,” said UA head coach Adia Barnes. “I think that they had a stellar third quarter, they really punched us in the face and came out with a 9-0 run, started very flat in the third quarter and that’s unacceptable and so honestly they came in manhandled us and we should’ve lost the game.”
UA senior guard Helena Pueyo ended the Cougars’ game-opening run with a 3-pointer. That started a 7-0 run that cut the lead to 10-9. Arizona senior Esmery Martinez scored nine of Arizona’s 14 points in the first quarter and with 8:47 left in the second quarter, UA took the lead back with a Martinez layup.
WSU retook the lead with 1:42 left in the second with a 3 from freshman guard Astera Tuhina.
“We all know the score but we also have to play defense, so just pride,” said UA freshman guard Kailyn Gilbert said. “You don’t have to be the fastest in the world but as long has you have pride then that’s gonna go a long way on the defensive end, so just having heart and pride to stop your defender.”
The loss snapped UA’s five game home winning streak. On Friday the Wildcats topped Washington 61-54.
Washington State beat Arizona for the second straight time, having upset the Wildcats 72-67 last February in Pullman.
Arizona closed out the first half Sunday with no field goals in the last 6:30, missing their last seven shots. Senior guard/forward Jade Loville made two of three free throws with no time on the clock to cut Wazzu’s lead to 29-27 at the half.
WSU opened the third quarter on an 9-0 run to go up 11, but UA tied it at 46, using an 8-0 run thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomore guard Madison Conner.
“I felt like just going in there, playing hard, trying to do whatever it takes to get the lead and kinda come back,” Conner said. “That’s kinda what we’re supposed to do coming off the bench: stay ready, whenever you go in just bring that spark and honestly do anything that you have to.”
With WSU up 50-48 early in the fourth quarter, Martinez got called for a technical foul after pushing a Cougar that ran into her before the Wildcats could inbound the ball.
The Cougs added four points from the free throws and ensuing possession. Barnes said the foul had a huge impact and that there was bump before but “that’s basketball.”
“We had fought so hard and we’re playing pretty good to come back and then down two, that was a huge momentum shift,” Barnes said. “It was like the first dagger.”
UA went on to miss six straight field goals until Conner hit a 3.
Martinez led the UA in scoring with 14, while Conner added 13. WSU had four players in double figure scoring, led by center center Bella Murekatete with 18 and senior forward Ula Motuga, who had 16.
Murekatete, who scored 27 in their last meeting, just missed out on a double-double with nine boards.
The Wildcats suffered through two scoring droughts of over two minutes in the fourth period, while Washington State made their last five field attempts to pull away.
Arizona shot 31% from the field, while Washington State shot 41%. UA was 12 for 14 from the free-throw line, but was outrebounded 43-35.
Up next for the Wildcats is the L.A. road trip, starting with No. 8 UCLA (17-5, 6-4) on Friday. The Bruins fell 71-69 at No. 9 Utah on Sunday.
WASHINGTON STATE 70, No. 19 ARIZONA 59
WASHINGTON ST. (15-6)
Motuga 7-11 0-0 16, Murekatete 7-13 4-5 18, Leger-Walker 0-13 5-6 5, Teder 1-3 0-0 3, Wallack 4-8 3-4 12, Gardner 0-0 0-0 0, Sarver 0-0 0-0 0, Tuhina 3-8 2-3 10, Clarke 3-5 0-0 6, Totals 25-61 14-18 70
ARIZONA (16-5)
Martinez 5-11 3-3 14, Reese 3-6 2-2 8, Fields 0-4 1-2 1, Loville 2-8 2-3 7, Pellington 1-5 0-0 2, Nnaji 0-4 0-0 0, Conner 3-11 4-4 13, Gilbert 5-12 0-0 11, Pueyo 1-4 0-0 3, Totals 20-65 12-14 59
Washington St. 15 14 19 22 — 70
Arizona 14 13 19 13 — 59
3-Point Goals—Washington St. 6-21 (Motuga 2-5, Leger-Walker 0-6, Teder 1-3, Wallack 1-2, Tuhina 2-5), Arizona 7-18 (Martinez 1-3, Reese 0-1, Fields 0-2, Loville 1-3, Pellington 0-1, Conner 3-5, Gilbert 1-1, Pueyo 1-2). Assists—Washington St. 18 (Leger-Walker 7), Arizona 12 (Pueyo 4). Fouled Out—Arizona Reese. Rebounds—Washington St. 43 (Wallack 12), Arizona 35 (Reese 7). Total Fouls—Washington St. 12, Arizona 19. Technical Fouls—None. A—7,494.
