PULLMAN, Wash. -- The Arizona women's basketball team (4-9, 0-2) fell in a 61-59 heartbreaker to Washington State (8-6, 2-0) on Sunday afternoon.
Senior Carissa Crutchfield led the Wildcats with 13 points, 11 in the second half. Crutchfield went 2 of 2 from 3-point range and is now shooting 55 percent from behind the arc on the season. Freshman Breanna Workman scored 10 points for her fourth game scoring in double digits this season. Junior Candice Warthen and freshman LaBrittney Jones scored nine points each for the Wildcats, who shot 46 percent to the Cougars' 39 percent.
Washington State came out strong in the first half, scoring the first four points and leading by 12 at halftime. It was all Arizona in the second half, though, as the Wildcats outscored the Cougars 37-27 and held them to 29 percent shooting.
"We started to get some stops," Arizona head coach Niya Butts said. "We felt better defensively because we were making shots offensively. But we didn't do enough to win the game."
UA tied the game six times in the final 11 minutes but could never take the lead. Washington State had a two-point lead with 43 seconds remaining, but Arizona could not get a shot off on its final possession.
"Down the stretch, we allowed them to get several opportunities at the basket," Butts said. "When we did that, they capitalized and that hurt us."
Sophomore Lia Galdeira led the Cougars with 16 points, and senior Sage Romberg finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.
"We have to go back and get ready to play our games at home," Butts said. "These were two tough road games and our team did some really good things, but we also have some things we need to work on."
