Texas Tech women’s basketball will return to face Washington State University at 6 p.m. Friday in Pullman, Washington, after a nine-day stretch without a game. The game will be Tech’s first of a two-game road trip.

Washington State enters the game with one win and nine losses this season. The Cougars defeated the University of Miami Ohio 71-67 on Nov. 28 after losing their first seven games.

“Washington State is a really good basketball team, but their record just doesn’t reflect that,” said Krista Gerlich, Tech head coach. “We are going to have to play really well on their home court to come away with the win.”

The Cougars’ 1-9 start is the team’s worst since the 2002-03 season when they lost the first 21 games of the season, according to Washington State Athletics.

Gerlich said Washington State junior center Alex Covill’s height brings challenges for Tech on the inside. Covill finished the 2024-25 season with 58 blocks but missed Washington State’s last nine games due to injury.

“They’ve got a big inside presence,” Gerlich said. “One that’s been injured as well, so we are not sure if she (Covill) will be back or not. She is 6-foot-6, so that certainly causes a problem for us.”

Tech junior guard/forward Jalynn Bristow and senior guard Snudda Collins lead the team in scoring from the field with 57 and 53 points, respectively. Redshirt senior forward Jada Malone also has seen success from the field, making 30 of 45 attempts for a .667 field goal percentage, according to Tech Athletics.

Conversely, Gerlich highlighted Washington State’s ability to share the ball with each other and play together. The Cougars average 12.7 assists per game.

“They play really good team ball,” Gerlich said. “I think that’s different than maybe having to hone in on one particular player.”

Since 1992, Tech has won all four matchups against Washington State by an average of 18.25 points, according to Tech Athletics. The last matchup between the teams was last season when the Lady Raiders won by four points while holding the Cougars to their then-lowest point total of the season.

The game will be livestreamed on ESPN+ with live stats and ticketing information available on the Tech Athletics website.