Charisma Osborne #20 of the UCLA Bruins and Charlisse Leger-Walker #5 of the Washington State Cougars go after a loose ball in the first half of the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Charlisse Leger-Walker #5 of the Washington State Cougars knocks the ball away from Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins as she drives to the basket in the first half of the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins drives against Charlisse Leger-Walker #5 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half of the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Emily Bessoir #11 and Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins joke around as they wait to take the court for the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament against the Washington State Cougars at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins shoots against Tara Wallack #1 and Jessica Clarke #14 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half of the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Emily Bessoir #11 and Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins hold hands as they line up to take the court for the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament against the Washington State Cougars at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Gina Conti #10 of the UCLA Bruins drives against Johanna Teder #21 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half of the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Washington State guard Johanna Teder (21) calls a play as she brings the ball upcourt against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
UCLA forward Brynn Masikewich cheers from the bench during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Washington State in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
UCLA guard Kiki Rice, left, drives the ball against Washington State guard Astera Tuhina during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
UCLA head coach Cori Close speaks with her team during a timeout in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Washington State in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Washington State center Bella Murekatete (55) shoots against UCLA guard Camryn Brown during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Washington State guard Astera Tuhina (11) lays up the ball against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez, left, shoots against Washington State forward Ula Motuga (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
UCLA head coach Cori Close calls to her team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Washington State in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Washington State guard Astera Tuhina, center, drives with the ball against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Washington State center Bella Murekatete (55) shoots against UCLA guard Gina Conti (10) and forward Emily Bessoir (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker drives the ball against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament, Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
LAS VEGAS — Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 23 points and Bella Murekatete added 21 to help Washington State earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament by beating No. 19 UCLA 65-61 in the Pac-12 Championship on Sunday.
It was the first-ever tournament championship for the Washington State women’s basketball program.
Up by three with just nine seconds left, Washington State Astera Tuhina got a piece of UCLA guard Charisma Osborne’s 3-point attempt to tie the game. With the arrow pointing their way, the Cougars took possession after a held ball on the rebound, and Tara Wallack hit one of two free throws with 5.1 seconds left to give Washington State a four-point lead to ultimately seal the victory.
Tuhina had six assists and Wallack added eight rebounds for the Cougars (23-10).
Osborne led the Bruins (25-9) with 19 points. Kiki Rice chipped in with 13 points, while Emily Bessoir added 11 for UCLA.
Washington State’s sustained its red-hot offense for the tournament by shooting 53.7% in the game, hitting 22 of 41 from the floor, including 7 of 11 (63.6%) from 3-point range.
The Cougars were the most efficient team in the tournament, draining 92 of 199 from the floor, a 46.2% clip.
UCLA came in as the highest-scoring team in the tournament averaging 74.3 points on 38.5% shooting after three games, but struggled to find any rhythm from the opening tip, suffocated by the tournament’s No. 1 scoring defense. The Bruins finished 22 of 60 (36.7%) from the floor and 26.3% (5 of 19) from 3-point range.
Though they held a four-point lead after one quarter, the Bruins came out shooting cold from the opening tip. They hit just 35% (7 of 20) in the first quarter, including 1 of 6 (16.7%) from 3-point range, and followed that with a 30.8% clip (4 of 13) in the second period.
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
Leger-Walker was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Other members of the Pac-12 All-Tournament team were: Murekatete (Washington State), Cameron Brink (Stanford), Emily Bessoir (UCLA), Osborne (UCLA), and Rice (UCLA).
BIG PICTURE
Washington State: The Cougars are the first No. 7 seed to advance to the Pac-12 championship game. The previous lowest seed to make the championship round was the No. 6 seed, twice, in 2009 (USC) and 2022 (Utah).
UCLA: After being held to just two points in the first half, on 1 of 6 shooting, Rice bolstered the Bruins’ 8-0 start to the third quarter with five points. In the second half, the freshman guard hit 4 of 10 from the field.
UP NEXT
UCLA awaits its NCAA bid while Washington State earned the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
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