Washington State women break away in third quarter to beat Idaho in Battle of the Palouse

MOSCOW, Idaho – Washington State went on an 11-point run in the third quarter to break open a game that had seen 14 lead changes to that point, and the Cougars fended off Idaho to win 73-59 in a nonconference women’s basketball game.

WSU (3-0) knocked down four 3-pointers in the quarter, and the Cougs’ leading scorer, Johanna Teder (13 points), hit a pair of them.

“I yelled at (Teder) who doesn’t like to be touched, and she bounced back,” WSU coach Kamie Ethridge said of Teder and the Cougars’ offensive flurry.

“We did not chase her over the screen. We let her get loose,” Idaho’s Jon Newlee countered. He said WSU’s barrage was the result of Idaho’s defensive mental breakdowns. “Which is discouraging.”

Idaho’s Louise Forsyth led all players with 18 points but acknowledged, “We lost a little focus on defense. We were not executing our defensive plan. It kind of got away from us.”

The game, however, played before a crowd of about 1,100 people in Idaho’s new ICCU Arena, was fun, Forsyth said. “It’s a cross-town rivalry, and there were four players from British Columbia. We all know each other and have played against each other,” she said.

Idaho (1-2) can usually rely on its shooting from the floor, but against WSU it made only 20 of 61 attempts (32.7%), including 9 of 27 (33.3%) from the arc. Tiana Johnson hit 4 of 6 3-pointers for the Vandals to back Forsyth with 14 points, and Sydney Gandy scored 11, but the rest of Idaho’s team contributed only 16 points.

The Cougars’ defense was stout from the elbow of the lane to the rim, and WSU was determined not to let Idaho’s Beyonce Bea get started, double-teaming her whenever the Vandals looked inside to their most productive post player. Bea finished with seven points.

“She certainly was the focus of their defense,” said Newlee. “That’s when other people have to step up.”

Ethridge called the Vandals “a hard team to guard. I think I scared my team because we put so much emphasis on not giving them 3s.”

The Cougars, by contrast, were an efficient 29 of 58 (50%) from the floor. They dominated inside, outscoring the Vandals there 38-16. Bella Murekatete, Tara Wallack and Charlisse Leger-Walker each contributed 12 points for WSU, and Murekatete pulled down 10 rebounds.

WSU got out to a quick 8-4 advantage in the first quarter, but Idaho steadied and even led at the half (33-32) as Forsyth hit a last-second 3 from the top of the lane. But the Vandals had no answer for the Cougars in the final two quarters.

Eastern Washington 101, Evergreen St. 38: The host Eagles (1-3) picked up their first win of the season with a dominating nonconference victory over the Geoducks (0-3).

Jaydia Martin and Jordyn Boesel led the way for EWU with 17 points apiece. Each of them knocked down five 3-pointers and pitched in with four rebounds.

Martin buried a pair of the Eagles’ four 3-pointers during a 13-3 spurt to open the game. Boesel capped a 13-1 run to end the quarter with consecutive 3s, and EWU built a 26-11 lead through the first 10 minutes.

The Eagles made 11 of 17 three-point shots (64.7%) en route to a 53-20 advantage at halftime. EWU made 17 of 34 (50%) attempts beyond the arc in the game.

Also for EWU, Jaleesa Lawrence had 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, Nunia Cunill contributed with 12 points and a team-high 14 rebounds, and Andie Zylak added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Trinity Betoney and Monique Bungay scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Evergreen State.

Peninsula 62, Spokane 58: Kelli Jade-Smith led Peninsula with 14 points, and the Pirates (3-0) held off the Sasquatch (1-2) at the Tip Off Tournament in Wenatchee.

Dejah Wilson pulled CCS within 59-58 with a pair of free throws with 21 seconds remaining, but the Sasquatch were undermined by turnovers on their final two possessions, and Peninsula put the game away at the foul line.

Emma Main led CCS with 16 points.