Women’s basketball: Saint Mary’s thwarts WSU’s comeback attempt

Saint Mary’s made 11 of 12 fourth-quarter free throws and withstood Washington State’s comeback attempt in a 75-71 nonconference win Saturday in Moraga, California.

The Gaels took a 40-22 lead late in the second quarter, but a 23-5 WSU run in the third quarter gave the Cougars a one-point lead.

Saint Mary’s, however, stopped the bleeding at the free-throw line in the fourth.

Lauren Nicholson led Saint Mary’s (8-2) with 24 points and six assists. She made just 6 of 19 shots from the floor, but connected on 12 of 15 free throws. Devyn Galland added 15 for the Gaels and Sydney Raggio and Devon Brookshire each added 12.

Borislava Hristova led the Cougars’ balanced scoring attack with 12 points and Louise Brown added 10.

Washington State (8-2) plays Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, next Sunday.

Oregon State 69, Idaho 44: Sydney Wiese had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and the seventh-ranked Beavers jumped ahead 20-4 in the first quarter and eased past the cold-shooting Vandals in a nonconference game at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Oregon.

Idaho shot a season-low 20.3 percent (13 of 64) from the field and made just 5 of 31 3-pointers. Taylor Pierce had a team-high 12 points for the Vandals.

Taylor Kalmer and Gabriella Hanson added 10 points apiece for Oregon State (7-0).

Idaho (7-3) will play its next five games at home, beginning next Sunday against Abilene Christian.

Cal Lutheran 71, Whitworth 61: Despite a career-high 35 points from K.C. McConnell, the Regals (3-3) pulled away in the second half and topped the Pirates (3-3) at the Kim Evanger Raney Classic at the Sherwood Center in Walla Walla.

Cal Lutheran’s Chelsea Jacoby scored 16 points and Jessica Salottolo added 15 points and five assists. The Regals made all 21 of their free throws, including 13 in the third and fourth quarters.

Whitworth’s McConnell made 13 of 23 shots from the floor, including 7 of 9 free throws. She also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Faith Emerson added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates.

McConnell’s previous career-high was 28. Whitworth plays Southwestern at the tournament on Sunday.

CC Spokane 81, Lower Columbia 66: Bri King had 19 points and five assists and the Sasquatch (6-2) advanced to the Everett Classic title game for the third straight year with a win over the Red Devils (5-5).

CCS trailed by eight after the first quarter, but outscored Lower Columbia 43-21 in the second and third. Khadija Neumeyer added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Sasquatch, who will play Evertt in Sunday’s title game.

Southern Idaho 87, North Idaho 83 (2OT): Kandiss Barber had 24 points and 13 rebounds and the Golden Eagles (13-0, 1-0) clipped the Cardinals (9-2, 0-1) in double overtime in a Scenic West Athletic Conference opener in Coeur d’Alene.

Monica Landdeck led four NIC players in double figures with 23 points. Grace Varcoe grabbed 17 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards. The Cardinals, however, made just 4 of 19 shots in the two overtime periods.