PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State women’s basketball got its first win of the season in convincing fashion, taking down Idaho 76-53 Monday afternoon at Beasley Coliseum in the Battle of the Palouse.
The Cougars (1-2) were looking for some payback after falling to the Vandals last season in Moscow, and they made a statement in front of the home crowd on Kids Day.
Washington State came out firing, jumping out to a 26-10 lead after the first quarter. The Cougars continued to build on that momentum in the second, outscoring Idaho 18-5 to take a commanding 44-15 advantage into halftime.
Mackenzie Chatfield led the Cougars with 18 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and knocking down three three-pointers.
Alex Covill added 17 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting performance, providing a strong presence inside. Eleonora Villa also finished in double figures with 16 points.
Tanja Valancic made an impact across the stat sheet, finishing with 10 rebounds and seven assists while helping facilitate the Washington State offense.
The Cougars controlled the paint, outscoring Idaho 34-14 down low, while also connecting on 10 three-pointers and shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Defensively, Washington State forced 18 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 31 points. The Vandals struggled to find their rhythm, shooting just 28.8 percent from the field.
Idaho was led by Hope Hassmann, who finished with 15 points, while Ana Pinheiro added 13 and Keanna Salave’a recorded eight points and 12 rebounds.
The Vandals were able to find some offense in the second half, scoring 38 points over the final two quarters, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
The 76-53 victory gives Washington State its first win of the 2026-27 season after opening the year with losses to California and Oregon.
The Cougars look to carry that momentum into their next matchup Friday, November 13, when they host Southern Utah in Pullman at 6 p.m.
Idaho returns to action at home against Walla Walla on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
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