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Women’s basketball: Leger-Walker sisters lead Washington State to program-record 19th victory

The Washington State women's basketball team celebrates after beating Cal 73-67 on Saturday. (Courtesy of WSU athletics)
From staff reports

Washington State played like it’s been in must-win mode for the past two weeks.

The Cougars’ heralded sister tandem of Charlisse and Krystal Leger-Walker has been in must-play mode all year.

Each of them played all 40 minutes Saturday in a 73-67 victory over California in the final game of the Cougars’ Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball schedule. Charlisse finished with a game-high 21 points, and Krystal kept the Cougars offense humming in Berkeley, California, with nine assists.

The Cougars (19-9, 11-6 Pac-12) have won five of six games and secured a No. 3 seed and first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Las Vegas.

WSU’s 19th win set a program record.

The Leger-Walker siblings, natives of New Zealand, finished 1-2 in the Pac-12 in minutes played during the regular season.

Krystal, a fifth-year senior, tallied 1,009 minutes played in 28 games, an average of 36 minutes a night. That mark edged out Charlisse, a sophomore, who compiled 1,004 minutes (35.8 per game).

Also for WSU, Bella Murakatete totaled 16 points and eight rebounds, Tara Wallack scored 14 points and Ula Motuga added 12 points and five rebounds.

Jayda Curry paced Cal (11-12, 2-10) with 19 points.

Sacramento St. 67, Eastern Washington 58: Isnelle Natabou totaled 21 points and eight rebounds for the Hornets (14-13, 10-8) in a Big Sky Conference win over the Eagles (8-19, 6-12) at Reese Court in Cheney.

Jacinta Buckley led EWU with 17 points and Jaydia Martin added 14.

Sacramento State raced ahead 22-9 through the first quarter, but eight EWU players scored in the second period to help the Eagles close within 37-32 at halftime.

Idaho 88, Northern Colorado 79: Sydney Gandy and Beyonce Bea scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, and five Vandals (10-16, 9-8) scored in double figures in a Big Sky victory over the Bears (11-15, 7-11) at ICCU Arena in Moscow, Idaho.

Ashlyn Wallace added 16 points for Idaho, Allison Kirby had 13 and Tiana Johnson 10.

Alexis Chapman led the Bears with 19 points.