Teder leads Washington State over No. 8 Arizona 72-67
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Johanna Teder scored 21 points, including seven in the final two minutes, and Washington State beat No. 8 Arizona 72-67 on Sunday.
Belle Murekatete contributed 16 points, making 8-of-10 shots, and Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 15 while also leading the Cougars (18-8, 10-5 Pac-12) with six assists.
With 2:44 left, Arizona (19-5, 9-5) cut WSU's nine-point lead to just two on a 3-pointer from Helena Pueyo. But Teder replied with her fifth 3-pointer of the day to put Washington State up five.
Teder followed that with a layup on the next possession that ended any chance of a comeback by Arizona.
'œJust a huge win, resume building win," Washington State coach Kamie Ethridge said.
'œI just think our distribution, getting it out to the whole team was the difference," she said. "To have the stability, balance and scoring punch that we did tonight was just huge.'ť
'œI just like where we're at as a team, I like the pulse of this team right now," Ethridge said. "We want to be getting better in February, and I feel like this team is right on track for that.'ť
'œWashington state played a tremendous game today, they really had us on our heels from the get go," Arizona coach Adia Barnes said. "They shot lights out, and Belle was killing us in the paint. We just never responded, tough game for us.'ť
In a game that featured 13 lead changes, Washington State managed to pull away in the second half, outscoring Arizona 41-34 after halftime. The Cougars shot 56% (9-of-16) from behind the arc.
Krystal Leger-Walker said the Cougars deserve to play in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
'œWe know we can compete with all these teams,'ť she said.
Madison Conner led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points off the bench.
The Cougars held a 50-45 lead going into the fourth.
With 8:30 left, Tara Wallack drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give Washington State a 55-48 lead. Krystal Leger-Walker hit a 3-pointer on WSU's next possession for a 58-50 lead.
This is the Cougars third win over a top-10 opponent since 2020, two of those have been against Arizona.
Arizona's Cate Reese exited the game with 6:59 left with a dislocated shoulder following a collision in the paint. Reese finished with 10 points. 'œShe'll be okay, nothing torn or broken and it's back in place,"Barnes said. "We're optimistic that she'll be back healthy soon.'ť
STATS
Washington State won despite committing 17 turnovers, to only 11 for Arizona. The Cougars won the rebound battle 32-21.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: The Wildcats continue to struggle in the second half of the season. After an 11-0 start, the Wildcats are just 8-5 and have fallen to fourth in the Pac-12.
Washington State: The Cougars beat their first ranked opponent this season, keeping their post-season hopes alive.
UP NEXT
Arizona will be back at home for their final two games, taking on UCLA and USC.
Washington State plays at No. 2 Stanford on Thursday.