University of Washington
Washington State
Huskies Extend Streak Over Cougars With 64-52 Victory
January 30, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2011
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Postgame Conferences: Jackson, Morton & Barlow | Kingma
SEATTLE - On the drive between Tucson and Tempe last weekend, Tia Jackson summoned Kristi Kingma, her captain and leading scorer, to the front of the bus. The Husky coach had a crystal clear message to deliver - we need you to score.
Challenge accepted.
Kingma delivered one of her strongest performances ever Sunday as Washington thwarted Washington State, 64-52, in the season's first meeting of the basketball version of the Apple Cup at Alaska Airlines Arena. The junior scored 29 points and swiped a career-high six steals, extending the Huskies' winning streak over the Cougars to 31.
"I think that I rose to the occasion," Kingma said.
While Kingma had the scoring highlights, Jackson lauded her teammates for another hard hat and lunch pail performance that has defined the Huskies (8-10, 3-6) all season. Defensively, the Huskies put the clamps on a dangerous 3-point shooting Cougars team (5-16, 3-6) by limiting the open looks of their shooting triumvirate - Jazmine Perkins, Sage Romberg and Ireti Amojo. The Huskies forced a season-high 27 turnovers, 16 coming on steals.
"I just was really proud of the way the team just came out and competed," Jackson said. "Anyone who came into the game battled and it was just a tremendous effort by us."
Offensively, the Huskies had plenty of answers for the Cougars' 3-2 zone defense. Utilizing a series of high screen-on-balls, Kingma was able to disguise her cuts, shake free of defenders and knock down open jumpers. She pumped in 17 first-half points and awakened a boisterous crowd of 5,295.
"Unfortunately for us, we let Kingma get going a little bit before half, and that's a little bit of a recipe for disaster when she's hot and feeling it," said Cougars' coach June Daugherty, who recruited Kingma when she was the boss here at UW.
The momentum continued into the second half until the midway point, when the Cougars began to establish some momentum on offense. Undaunted by their lack of success from beyond the arc, WSU began to score in transition and at one point cut a 16-point Huskies lead to just five with under four minutes to play.
But Kingma answered the run when she inexplicably found herself wide open, nailing a long 3-pointer to ease the tension in the building. For a player who's often the focus of opposing team's defenses, Kingma almost didn't know what to do when she saw so much space between her and the basket.
"I kind of just stepped into the shot and there was no one around me," Kingma said. "I was trying to decide whether to go for a lay in or shoot a 3. Luckily [the shot] went in."
Regina Rogers then found Charmaine Barlow for a layup and foul, effectively sealing the game.
While the Cougars had Hec Ed on edge late in the second half, the Huskies did a masterful job of retaining composure. A "chill out" timeout helped ease some nerves, if any.
"We needed to remember we were in control and were up," said Sarah Morton, who finished with nine points and five assists. "We just needed to take care of the ball and make good decisions and we hit some big baskets that really helped us."
Before the game, the Huskies made one minor tactical change on offense, starting Mollie Williams over Marjie Heard. The frosh finished with seven points (all from the line) and seven boards.
The Huskies return to Alaska Airlines Arena this weekend to host the first of two games against the Oregon schools, starting with the Ducks on Thursday night.
During her postgame press conference, Jackson noted the special atmosphere for the Apple Cup and issued another challenge.
"So, here's a challenge to everyone listening: Get back here next weekend," Jackson said. "Thursday and Saturday against the Oregon schools. Thank you."
