Huskies Hold Off Cougars WSU’s Inside Game Not Enough For Upset

The Cougars’ low-post players had the inside track all afternoon.

But the Washington State women’s basketball team’s total package was not enough to pull off the upset over Washington in the Pacific-10 Conference opener for both teams. After a close first half, the end result was a 73-58 defeat against the undefeated, eighth-ranked Huskies on Saturday before 356 Rose Bowl sweatshirt-wearing spectators at Friel Court.

The game had the predictability of years past - UW holds a 15-2 series advantage in the ‘90s - except for one factor. Thanks to foggy flying conditions, only one of the three officials made it to Pullman. However, Mary Whatford called the game without a hitch, prompting WSU coach Harold Rhodes to jokingly recommend the Pac-10 save on expenses by permanently going to a one-official format.

“For a Cougar-Husky game, I can’t remember in the last 17-18 years where there hasn’t been a huge controversy or feeling that the game wasn’t played on an equal court. I personally feel she did an outstanding job,” Rhodes said.

The loss dropped WSU to 6-4, 0-1. Washington, off to its best start since the 1976-77 season, improved to 10-0, 1-0.

“If you had asked me before the game if you can hold them to just 15 offensive rebounds, I would have taken it,” Rhodes said

The Cougars did just that. More impressive was that they kept forward Amber Hall from dominating - her 10 rebounds being two below her conference-leading average. Hall had just two offensive rebounds along with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Center Gena Pelz had seven rebounds and six points.

Washington State’s inside tandem of center Yvonne Kunze and forward Alke Dietel combined for 40 points. Dietel led with a game-high 22 points. She scored 16 of the Cougars’ 29 second-half points, but was shut down on the boards. Kunze scored 18 points and led the Cougars with 10 rebounds.

“Compliments to Harold Rhodes,” Washington coach June Daugherty said. “They’re definitely improved from last year. They still are the big kid inside with Kunze and obviously Dietel did a good job with our frontline.”

However, it was the Cougars’ perimeter game that failed. The starting three of Katie Nyseth, Doreen Evans and Tricia Lamb scored just five points compared to 36 for the Huskies starters, 26 in the second half.

It was Jamie Redd and freshman Megan Franza, the former star of Levenworth Cascade, who helped UW build a 16-point, 57-41 lead at the 11:27 mark in the second half. Washington’s biggest lead was 69-52 with 3:33 left to play.

“The coaches have said to me, ‘Keep shooting it.”’ said Franza, who was 0 for 4 in the first half. “When you come in at halftime and have missed a few, they look you right in the eye and say, ‘Keep shooting. We want a million 3s from you.”’

Franza began the second half by scoring all of her eight points, helped by two 3-pointers, in a span of five minutes. Redd, clearly the quickest player on either team, scored six of her team-high 17 points in the first nine minutes of the second half.

In the first half, the Cougars used full-court pressure effectively. They forced 15 turnovers (and committed 15) and had the Huskies rattled with their eight steals. The Cougars took a 27-24 lead when Dietel scored on a layup off a Yvonne Volkman steal with 3:53 left in the half.

“We’re a team that’s ranked high. We know everybody is going to give us their best game. Washington State gave us one of their best games and sometimes you’ve got to win in tough situations,” Daugherty said.

Washington 73, Washington St. 58

Washington (10-0, 1-0) - Hall 5-11 2-2 12, Pelz 3-6 0-0 6, Redd 8-22 0-0 17, Franza 3-10 0-0 8, Erickson 0-0 0-0 0, Duncan 0-1 3-4 3, Teel 0-1 1-1 1, Hills 4-6 0-1 11, Pimley 3-4 1-2 7, Lynch 1-3 2-2 4, Sheets 2-4 0-1 4. Totals 29-68 9-13 73.

Washington State (6-4, 0-1) - Nyseth 0-1 0-0 0, Evans 1-4 0-1 3, Kunze 7-12 4-6 18, Dietel 10-16 2-3 22, Lamb 0-3 2-2 2, Harrod 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 3-11 0-0 9, Kerns 0-4 2-4 2, Volkman 0-5 0-0 0, Quinton 0-1 0-0 0, Rubio 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 22-60 10-16 58.

Halftime - Washington 31, Washington State 29. 3-point goals - Washington 6-23 (Hills 3-4, Franza 2-8, Redd 1-8, Duncan 0-1, Teel 0-1, Lynch 0-1), Washington State 4-21 (Smith 3-8, Evans 1-2, Nyseth 0-1, Kerns 0-3, Volkman 0-3, Dietel 0-4). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Washington 46 (Hall 10), Washington State 39 (Kunze 11). Assists - Washington 15 (Redd 5), Washington State 17 (Kerns 11). Total fouls - Washington 13, Washington State 15. Technicals - None. A - 356.

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