WSU Beats Cal, Plays Ncaa Bid Waiting Game

The Pacific-10 Conference women’s basketball coaches mustn’t have had all the statistics in front of them when they selected the all-conference team last week.

They left off Washington State’s Jenni Ruff.

It was Ruff’s career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds that helped send the Cougars (9-9 Pac-0, 16-11) past the Cal Golden Bears 78-64 at Bohler Gym on Saturday.

WSU seniors Susie Jarosch and Kireen Ellis were selected to the Pac-10 honorable mention team Friday. However, if a WSU most valuable player award is to be distributed, it will be hard to look past Ruff.

“I was personally kind of upset that my name wasn’t there,” Ruff said. “I know I’m capable of playing with the players on that team. That’s an individual goal for me to work on next year.”

While she’ll have to wait until next season, there is still one goal that remains for the Cougars this season.

That’s an NCAA Tournament bid.

WSU coach Harold Rhodes believes his team has earned the right to play in the 64-team tournament, which will be announced this morning at 9:30. (ESPN).

“When you consider everything this team has gone through, I believe we deserve a shot.”

To Rhodes, this team, in many respects, is an extension of the past few years. Many players on the team have seen former teammates sustain career-ending injuries.

At times, it seemed Rhodes had more players on the bench in street clothes.

“For once, we were able to overcome the ugly ‘i’ word,” Rhodes said.

So on Saturday, the Cougars did what they had to do to try to convince the NCAA Tournament committee that it is worthy of a bid.

Ruff, Kristin Erickson and Kelli Kronberger took equal opportunity to dismantle Cal. Kronberger could have been called Kronbomber.

She finished with 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line. Erickson finished with 13 points and Ellis contributed with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Both teams started slow but the Cougars got their offense going, resulting in a 42-33 halftime lead.

A second-half WSU surge, coupled with Cal’s offense that didn’t score a basket until 5 minutes had gone by in the first half, helped put the game away.

So now, Rhodes, his staff and team must sit back and wait for the tournament selection committee’s announcement.

“I don’t know what to do,” Rhodes said. “Who do you prepare for? I’m supposed to stay in bed (as a result of the flu), but I’m too wired to do that. I don’t know if I should break out the golf clubs or what.”

The only option is to wait.

Washington St. 78, California 64 CALIFORNIA (10-17)

Barrett 1-5 0-1 2, Czepiec 4-10 3-4 13, Lear 7-18 1-3 15, Sokolowska 5-18 3-4 13, Folsom 2-5 0-0 4, Rizzo 0-1 0-0 0, Scotty 1-2 0-0 2, Stewart 2-4 0-0 6, Oldenburger 2-5 5-6 9, Dmitrieva 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-69 12-18 64.

WASHINGTON STATE (16-11)

Ruff 8-15 6-10 23, Saneholtz 3-13 0-0 6, Ellis 4-13 2-2 10, Jarosch 3-7 0-0 8, Kronberger 4-6 2-2 14, Erickson 5-8 2-2 13, Evans 0-0 0-0 0, Whaley 0-0 0-0 0,. Kunze 2-2 0-0 4, Keith 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 29-64 12-17 78.

Halftime-Washington St. 42, California 33. 3-Point goals-California 4-19 (Czepiec 2-3, Stewart 2-4, Sokolowska 0-8, Oldenburger 0-2, Lear 0-1, Rizzo 0-1), Washington St. 8-15 (Kronberger 4-6, Jarosch 2-5, Ruff 1-1, Erickson 1-3). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-California 38 (Barrett 11), Washington St. 53 (Ruff 14). Assists-California 7 (Sokolowska 3), Washington St. 18 (Jarosch 7). Total fouls-California 22, Washington St. 20. A-647.