Cougs put on the outs

PULLMAN – The difference between Washington and Washington State women’s basketball teams was stark.

The Huskies controlled the inside with an occasional contribution from the outside.

The Cougars bombed away from the outside and occasionally picked up something inside.

In the end, Sami Whitcomb, who did both, was the difference in the age-old story of this rivalry.

The Huskies senior, recruited by third-year WSU coach June Daugherty when she was at Washington, scored a career-high 32 points, bolstered by three three-point plays and two 3-pointers, to lead her team to a 76-70 overtime win before 2,064 fans at Friel Court on Friday night.

It was the Huskies’ 29th straight victory in the series, dating back to 1995, and the first overtime game since 1993 in Seattle, the only other time the Cougars beat the Huskies dating back to 1982.

The overtime was quite different from regulation.

Christina Rozier, a 5-foot-8 senior who averages 4.4 points but didn’t score in regulation, had all eight of her points in the extra session, including back-to-back baskets that broke a 68-68 tie. Two of those baskets were courtesy of Whitcomb’s only assists in the game.

“Christina always steps up right when we need someone,” Whitcomb said. “Whatever it is, she finds the right time to bring that spark for us.”

Rozier, who missed five shots in regulation, hit 4 of 5 in overtime.

“We knew what (Rozier) was capable of,” Daugherty said. “She’s improved since last year, no surprise there.”

For the most part Daugherty preferred to focus on the progress the Cougars (5-15, 0-9 Pac-10) were making than the game itself, the Huskies (9-10, 4-5), or even Whitcomb, who finished 10 of 17 from the field and 10 of 13 from the line.

It was the 10th game the Cougars lost by 10 or fewer points.

“I know (this team) is better than that,” Daugherty said. “I know how close we are. I’m not going to get frustrated. I can’t wait … to move on to the Arizonas.”

The inside-outside battle was established early as UW’s 6-3 sophomore centers Mackenzie Argens and Regina Rogers combined for eight straight points and 6-2 senior Laura McLellan converted a three-point play for an 11-7 lead.

The Cougars caught the Huskies at 14 thanks to a scrappy defense that forced 15 first-half turnovers and pushed the lead to as many as six by hitting five 3-pointers, three from April Cook, who had 12 points. Only the 11 points from Whitcomb, with two three-point plays and a 3-pointer, kept the Cougars lead to just 34-29.

Washington quickly grabbed the lead in the second half with 10 straight points coming from the work inside.

A Cook 3 made it 37-36 but the Cougars couldn’t get by the Huskies for a long time. They tied it at 39 and 49 but in both instances Whitcomb responded, first with her second 3 and then a pair of free throws.

Finally, after the Huskies missed two free throws, a 3 from Jazmine Perkins at 2:57 put the Cougars up 58-57. Perkins added two more free throws moments later but WSU didn’t score again until Kiki Moore fed Katie Madison for a bucket with 8.4 seconds left to send the game into overtime tied at 62.

Whitcomb had scored four of the five points that put the Huskies back on top but couldn’t convert from the lane in the final seconds of regulation.

Whitworth 90, Willamette 39: Leah Pomante tossed in 14 points and teammate Liz Horiatis added 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds as the Pirates (9-9, 5-4 Northwest Conference) stormed past the visiting Bearcats (3-15, 1-8).

It was the third straight win for the Pirates, who breezed to a 56-16 halftime lead in humbling the overmatched Bearcats. Willamette got a game-high 15 points from Alex Zennan but shot just 22.2 percent (12 of 54) from the field.

Whitworth coach Helen Higgs went to her bench early and often and 12 players ended up scoring for the Bucs, who shot 55.2 percent (32 of 58) for the game and won the rebounding battle 43-27.