Lamb Comes Out Like Lion WSU Guard Produces Team-Record Eight 3-Pointers In Win Over Arizona

Arizona was made aware last season Tricia Lamb could hit the 3.

What the Wildcats found out this season was the Washington State sophomore guard could nail eight in one game. Thursday night, the former St. John-Endicott star set a school record for 3-pointers, leading the Cougars to an 87-77 win over Arizona in a Pacific-10 Conference women’s basketball game at Friel Court.

Lamb finished with a game-high 33 points, matching her career high set earlier this season against Appalachian State.

“That was awesome,” Cougars coach Harold Rhodes said of Lamb’s highlight reel which had the small, but enthusiastic, crowd of 441 oohing and aahing after her third straight 3-pointer fell less than 6 minutes into the game. “The last two or three ballgames she hadn’t played well. In shootaround today, we were simulating some things, 5-on-zero offensively, and she hit three or four in a row. I walked over to (assistant) coach (Lorinda) Flikkema and said, `I hope she saves some for tonight.”

There were many more in store.

Lamb scored 27 points in the first half on 7-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. She finished 12 of 20 from the floor, 8 of 12 from 3-point range. The first half also featured a 27-0 Cougars run 13 points by Lamb allowing the Cougars to take a cushy 49-25 halftime lead.

Washington State’s largest run in recent memory came after Arizona’s Tatum Brown tied the score at 20 with 11:26 left in the half.

The win improved the Cougars to 7-4, 1-1 in conference games. Arizona dropped to 6-6, 1-2. Last season, the Wildcats - an AP Top 10 team at the time - were upset by WSU in Tucson when Lamb hit a 35-footer at the buzzer.

“Everybody was into it and you could see that Arizona was starting to second-guess itself about everything,” Rhodes said. “It was wide-open shots she was getting. And, yes, when you have that kind of type of a shooting performance from the 3-point line, it definitely takes the wind out of your sails.”

WSU shot 51.4 percent in the first half, 46.7 in the game. Arizona which trailed by as many as 27 twice in the first half, shot 36.4 in the first half and brought it up to 41.1.

She (Lamb) was unbelievable,” Arizona coach Joan Bonvicini said. “But we didn’t do a very good job in the first half. In the second half, we played better defense and forced the tempo.”

The Wildcats also denied Lamb the open 3-pointer from the weak side, holding her scoreless in the second half until 9:32 left in the game. They narrowed the lead to 80-75 with 1:17 left, but the Cougars then made 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

“They were really aware of me in the second half,” said Lamb. “And I kept hearing them say, “She’s over here, she’s over here.”’

Lamb, whose 3-point high in high school was six, had been nursing a slightly sprained left ankle she injured in practice last week.

Alke Dietel added 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds for Washington State. The sophomore forward also chipped in from 3-point range, hitting 3 of 7. WSU was 14 of 27 from 3-point range.

Five Arizona players finished in double figures with freshman forward Elizabeth Pickney leading the way with 17 points. The Wildcats were 2 of 10 from 3-point range.

“They’re a 3-point team,” Bonvicini said. “They’re going to win by the 3 and die by the 3. Unfortunately tonight, they made an awful lot.”

Washington St. 87, Arizona 77

Arizona (6-6, 1-2) - Pickney 6-12 5-8 17, Brown 5-12 0-3 10, Griffith 1-7 0-0 3, Bristol 4-14 4-6 13, Willis 7-12 1-1 15, Brase 3-5 2-2 8, Lackey 4-8 2-2 10, Taylor 0-2 0-0 0, Mitchell 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 30-73 15-24 77.

Washington State (7-4, 1-1) - Dietel 5-12 2-4 15, Volkman 1-7 4-5 7, Quinton 2-6 1-1 5, Nyseth 1-2 2-3 5, Lamb 12-20 1-2 33, Harrod 2-2 0-0 4, Kerns 2-7 5-6 10, Stinson 3-4 2-2 8. Totals 28-60 17-23 87.

Halftime-Washington State 49, Arizona 25. 3-Point goals- Arizona 2-10 (Bristol 1-3, Griffith 1-5, Willis 0-1, Brase 0-1), Washington State 14-27 (Lamb 8-12, Dietel 3-7, Nyseth 1-1, Volkman 1-3, Kerns 1-4). Fouled out-Stinson. Rebounds- Arizona 46 (Brown 11), Washington State 41 (Dietel 10). Assists-Arizona 15 (Willis 7), Washington State 22 (Nyseth 9). Total fouls-Arizona 21, Washington State 20. A-441.