We had 11 games in five days and in the end, Washington State came out on top against UCLA, 65-61, to win their first Pac-12 Tournament title and did so as a No. 7 seed. A seed that low has never made the final and now a No. 7 seed has won.
The Cougars go where Charlisee Leger-Walker takes them. Sunday night that was toward a road never traveled on a trail she blazed herself. She was dominant, scoring 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and also led the team in rebounds with seven.
Leger-Walker shined, but Bella Murekatete was right there too with 21 points, four rebounds and two blocks. This guard-center combo worked like a dream and Washington State road it all the way to glory in Las Vegas.
The game was close throughout. No team ever led by double digits and even in defeat, the Bruins got a 21-point effort from Charisma Osborne and 13 from Kiki Rice. The game’s turning point came in the second quarter when the Cougars went on a 16-5 run to end the first half. That gave Washington State momentum and a four-point advantage at the break.
UCLA battled on in the third and even took a one-point lead midway through the quarter, but Leger-Walker and Murekatete exchanged baskets to give the Cougars back the lead entering the fourth.
In the final quarter, Washington State closed…
