LOS ANGELES — Bella Murekatete scored 20 points, Jenna Villa added 18 and Washington State held on for a 85-82 victory over No. 2 UCLA despite All-Pac-12 guard Charlisse Leger-Walker suffering a knee injury during the second half.
Leger-Walker — an Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection last season — suffered the non-contact injury with 7:30 remaining in the third quarter and with the Cougars (15-6, 4-4 Pac-12) holding a 48-32 lead. The senior guard was taken to the locker room and had 17 points.
Kiki Rice had 25 points and Charisma Osbourne added 20 and Londynn Jones 19 for UCLA (16-3, 5-3), which has dropped two of its last three.
UCLA cut a 20-point second half deficit to 83-82 with 19 seconds left.
A pair of free throws by Murekatete put the Cougars back up by three. After a timeout, UCLA had a final chance to send it to overtime but the Bruins missed all three potential tying 3-pointers in the final 11 seconds, including one by Rice that went off the glass as time expired.
WSU head coach Kamie Ethridge said Leger-Walker will be sent for imaging, but her injury does not look good.
The Cougs will return home for another huge matchup with No. 3 Colorado Friday night.
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