LAS VEGAS — Freshman Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 15 points, Bella Murekatete added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and seventh-seeded Washington State beat No. 10 seed Utah 57-48 on Wednesday night in the first round of the Pac-12 Conference tournament.
Washington State (12-10) will play No. 2 seed Arizona in a quarterfinal on Thursday.
Leger-Walker was just 3 of 16 from the field but made 7 of 8 free throws. Senior Krystal Leger-Walker added 12 points. The sisters each had eight rebounds and two 3-pointers.
Brynna Maxwell scored 15 points to lead Utah (5-16), which shot 14 of 60 (23%) from the floor. Kemery Martin added 13 points.
The Cougars led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter and had a 44-34 advantage early in the fourth. A 7-0 surge, capped by Maxwell’s 3-pointer, pulled the Utes to 44-41, but they didn’t get closer.
Washington State, which ended the regular season above .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season, also swept the regular season series against Utah.
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