Washington State women hold off Utah's late rally, win 57-48

Posted March 03, 2021 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Washington State guard Johanna Teder (21) shoots as Utah forward Zuzanna Puc (5) defends during an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 women's tournament Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Freshman Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 15 points, Bella Murekatete added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and seventh-seeded Washington State beat No. 10 seed Utah 57-48 on Wednesday night in the first round of the Pac-12 Conference tournament.

Washington State (12-10) will play No. 2 seed Arizona in a quarterfinal on Thursday.

Leger-Walker was just 3 of 16 from the field but made 7 of 8 free throws. Senior Krystal Leger-Walker added 12 points. The sisters each had eight rebounds and two 3-pointers.

Brynna Maxwell scored 15 points to lead Utah (5-16), which shot 14 of 60 (23%) from the floor. Kemery Martin added 13 points.

The Cougars led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter and had a 44-34 advantage early in the fourth. A 7-0 surge, capped by Maxwell's 3-pointer, pulled the Utes to 44-41, but they didn't get closer.

Washington State, which ended the regular season above .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season, also swept the regular season series against Utah.

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More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.

Washington State forward Ula Motuga (15) receives a pass as Utah guard Kemery Martin (15) and forward Lola Pendande (12) defend during an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 women's tournament Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) The Associated Press

Utah guard Kemery Martin (15) shoots a layup during the team's NCAA college basketball game against Washington State in the first round of the Pac-12 women's tournament Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) The Associated Press

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