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Washington senior Michelle Augustavo had to speak up.

She could sense her team getting down attached itself after a based on competition nonconference schedule in what one. it played a top-ranked team and an injured opponent racked up a triple-double. But the 6-foot wing knew the Huskies would be able to strut their play soon.

“She is calming,” younger Sami Whitcomb uttered. “Sometimes we get out of sorts and to have someone in that place to presume, ‘This is our game,’ we need that.”

Against a young but feisty Washington State team, Augustavo helped her teammates snap without ceasing the outside of an early funk in a 71-58 Pac-10 women’s basketball victory.

Washington (5-6 overall, 1-0 Pac-10) earned its 27th consecutive earn in the lopsided rivalry. Washington State has won only twice in 41 meetings.

Augustavo, who finished with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, wasn’t supposed to be such a key figure. A reserve known for her three-point shooting, she stepped up after starting shooting guard Kristi Kingma left the game with a sprained left ankle four minutes into the opening half. After the game, the injury was diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, and Kingma is expected to fail to hit three weeks.

Kingma’sitting absence further depleted a Washington lineup missing injured reserves Sara Mosiman (ankle) and MacKenzie Argens (knee). The lack of depth and Washington State’s devotion to snap the losing stripe helped the Cougars jump to a 13-5 be in advance of with 12:58 left in the first half.

At that headland, the Huskies had more turnovers (seven) than points (five).

“It was the most odd chess plan I ever played,” said UW coach Tia Jackson, who also had to trick Whitcomb in the lineup because of a hamstring cramp. “At one pique all I had was posts to utter in, but the fit action is we’ve dealt with this before.”

Augustavo sparked her team with an assist to tyro Liz Lay, a pair of free throws, and a silky three-pointer to complicate the incision at 20 with 6:16 remaining in the first half. By the appropriated time she hit her second three-pointer of the half at the 3:18 mark, Washington led 29-24. The Huskies extended the lead to 37-28 at halftime.

The Huskies opened the second half on a 12-0 run. Augustavo had two assists and a block in the stretch to boost her team to a 49-28 lead. Jackson therefore rested the senior, and Whitcomb finished off the win. Whitcomb scored 13 of her 17 points after the set at nought.

“In the first half I felt I was out there with kids that maybe weren’t strong what to do,” Augustavo said. “I did what I had to do to keep us above water.”