PULLMAN — Washington State came up with a defensive stop on the game’s final possession to secure a 61-59 victory over Arizona on Sunday.

WSU (8-6, 2-0 Pac-12) has now won six straight against the Arizona schools and starts Pac-12 play 2-0 for the second time in the past three seasons.

Sophomore guard Lia Galdeira led all scorers with 16 points and five steals, while junior guard Tia Presley scored 14 points. Senior forward Sage Romberg had 10 points and nine rebounds. Junior center Shalie Dheensaw finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

The Wildcats (4-8, 0-2) shot 57.7 percent in the second half and 46 percent for the game. The Cougars were held to 28.6 percent from the field in the second half but registered a 40-30 rebound advantage, including a couple of key offensive rebounds in the final minutes.

The Cougars led 34-22 at halftime.

On the game’s final possession, Romberg forced a Wildcat loose ball and time ran out before Arizona could get a good look at a potential tying or game-winning shot.

From sports information report