Seattle college roundup: UW’s soccer rally ends in overtime, basketball moves to 2–0

Rain City Sports editorial desk | November 6, 2026. Coverage of games completed November 5.

Soccer: a comeback without a semifinal

Washington’s women erased a two-goal deficit against No. 5 Michigan State on Thursday, but the recovery could not extend their Big Ten tournament run. Bella Najera’s overtime winner delivered a 3–2 quarterfinal defeat at Energizer Park in St. Louis, leaving the No. 20 Huskies at 12–3–4 and awaiting their NCAA tournament destination.

The score tells two different stories about Washington’s afternoon: an attack that eventually found the combinations to trouble a top opponent, and an opening stretch that gave that opponent too much control. This was a consequential postseason loss, with a conference semifinal place at stake, even though Washington’s next postseason assignment remains unsettled.

How Washington pulled it back

Faith George put Michigan State ahead at 12:04. Najera added the second at 49:58, with Kennedy Bell and Emerson Sargeant credited with assists on both goals. Washington had not attempted a first-half shot, according to Michigan State’s official report.

Samiah Shell’s delivery from a free kick changed the match. Maylen Montoya finished at 58:34, converting Washington’s first attempt. Andrea Leyva supplied the equalizer at 81:49 after Montoya’s service and Lucy Newlin’s touch connected the attack. Leyva had now scored three times in two matches, offering a timely source of finishing as the postseason began.

The deciding sequence came from Michigan State’s 11th corner. Addison Baldus directed George’s delivery toward goal, Tanner Ijams stopped the initial effort, and Najera reached the rebound at 95:34. Michigan State’s account says the goal stood after replay review. Washington’s comeback had forced overtime but could not survive the second chance.

Analysis: create earlier, finish the defensive play

The practical lesson for Washington is to reach its productive attacking patterns sooner. Shell’s service and the Montoya–Newlin–Leyva combination showed two ways to create danger: a well-delivered restart and connected touches inside the attacking third. Depending on a late recovery leaves little margin when the opponent can generate repeated pressure.

Defending the initial delivery also has to be followed by control of the loose ball. Ijams made the first stop on the winner; the rebound remained available. Our editorial assessment is that recovering position around the goalkeeper and contesting that second contact deserve as much attention as the first challenge.

Genevieve Henry, writing for The State News on November 5, judged Washington the more likely side to advance during its improved stretch before Najera’s winner. That is a named observer’s reading of the momentum. It supports taking the comeback seriously while the shotless first half still demands scrutiny.

Basketball: pressure creates separation

Back in Seattle, Washington women’s basketball improved to 2–0 by beating Pacific 75–54. Sayvia Sellers scored 17 points with seven assists, and Avery Howell added 15 points and seven rebounds. Brynn McGaughy and Devin Coppinger each scored 11; Coppinger also collected five steals.

UW trailed 14–12 after one quarter, then won the second 20–10. Its pressure produced 16 steals and 21 Pacific turnovers, while 27 made free throws in 32 attempts supplied another dependable scoring route. Those possessions and foul shots explain the separation more usefully than the final margin alone.

Analysis: the next step is to pair that pressure with more consistent shooting. Washington finished at 37.7 percent from the field. A comfortable win still leaves room to improve the quality and conversion of its shots rather than relying on turnovers and frequent trips to the line.

What comes next

The soccer team now awaits NCAA selection; its next opponent and match venue are unconfirmed. Basketball hosts Cal State Bakersfield on November 12 at 7 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena. No new injury conclusions are drawn from these game reports.

Sources

• Washington Athletics: November 5 soccer quarterfinal recap (checked 2026-11-06)
• Washington Athletics: official Michigan State box score (checked 2026-11-06)
• Michigan State Athletics: Najera’s brace sends MSU to semifinals (checked 2026-11-06)
• Genevieve Henry, The State News: quarterfinal report, November 5 (checked 2026-11-06)
• Washington Athletics: Huskies take down Pacific (checked 2026-11-06)

Analysis and recommendations are the editorial desk’s interpretation. Reporting and attributed perspectives are linked above. Information is current as of the publication date.