No. 2 UCLA falls, Pac-12 chaos and more highlight a wild women’s basketball

The Pacific Northwest brought its familiar rain to a number of top-16 parades Sunday as Washington State led the way with an upset over No. 2 UCLA from Pauley Pavilion while Washington and Oregon State bested No. 11 USC and No. 16 Utah respectively. 

Here’s a look back at the biggest storylines from the final women’s basketball Sunday of January. 

Sharp-shooting Washington State stuns No. 2 UCLA

Emboldened by a triumph in Tinseltown last season, Washington State’s first-ever win at Pauley Pavilion, and the absence of UCLA’s dominant rim protector Lauren Betts, WSU pursued its highest-ranked victory in program history with supreme confidence Sunday night. The Cougars would convert better than 54 percent of their field goals, including a scintillating 6-12 mark from three, and grow their lead to as much as 20 early in the second half, ultimately navigating some dodgy late-game execution to escape as 85-82 victors. 

Without Betts, who stands as an elite shot-blocking presence and currently ranks second nationally with a 68.3 percent rate from the field, the Cougars targeted the painted area, converting layups on three of their first five possessions to build a 9-5 lead. Washington State would lead the rest of the afternoon, as Bella Murekatete paced the Cougs in the first quarter with eight points before handing the reins to Charlisse Leger-Walker. The Kiwi guard led the way with 11 during a scorching WSU second quarter —  the visitors shot 10-15 from the floor — and closed the first half with a clutch steal to send the Cougs into the locker room leading by 16.

Murekatete and Leger-Walker continued to shine for Wazzu, combining for 37 points on 14-22 shooting, and a pair of free throws from Tara Wallack capped a 6-2 Cougar spurt out of the locker room to give her squad its largest lead of the night. Charisma Osborne would immediately embody her namesake, however, converting a gritty and-one opportunity before drilling a turnaround jumper and cleaning up the offensive glass, as UCLA continued to knife into a lofty deficit.

Londynn Jones, UCLA’s most consistent perimeter threat, nailed one of her five threes to pull the Bruins within single digits early in the fourth quarter, and a pair of missed free throws in the final minute gave the home team a chance at the tie in the final seconds. Kiki Rice, who led all scorers with 25 after a six-point first half, would short-arm her attempt at glory, Osborne’s effort struck the rim as well and Washington State would escape with a stunning victory.

Beers’ perfect night leads Oregon St. to rout over No. 16 Utah

No emotional hangovers when the party keeps on going! After stunning No. 3 Colorado in a dominant second half Thursday, No. 25 Oregon State disposed of another ranked carcass with a dominant 40 minutes, blowing out Utah 91-66 on…