The names are forever etched in University of Washington women's basketball lore.

Carlin McClary, Karen Murray, Leteia Hughley, Yvette Cole, Karen Deden, Rhonda Smith, Loree Payne, Megan Franza, Laurie Merlino and Cameo Hicks are among the many fine Husky players who have gone before.

The 2011-12 Huskies are making a name for themselves as the team that has renewed the UW's proud tradition of winning basketball.

The Huskies took one more step toward the Final Four in the women's National Invitation Tournament, scratching and clawing to a 52-39 win Sunday over Pac-12 nemesis Utah in the tourney's second round at Hec Edmundson Pavillion.

They avenged a tough 49-36 loss to Utah earlier in the season.

"It's a great feeling that our seniors are getting to play more games after the regular season and for all of us to know that we are turning the Washington women's basketball program around," said freshman Aminah Williams, a former Kennedy Catholic standout and West Seattle resident.

"It's exciting for our team to realize the opportunity to keep playing in the postseason."

The Huskies (19-13) have won four of their past five games, hitting their peak at just the right time. They last lost to No. 2-ranked Stanford in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament.

Next up is Oregon State (20-12), a team that has owned the Huskies in the regular season, forging 60-55 and 78-73 wins this winter. The Round-of-16 contest will be played at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Corvallis at Slats Gill Coliseum.

"We've got to bring intensity, get rebounds and take care of the basketball against OSU," said Williams.

The Beavers are led by senior 5-foot-11 guard Earlysia Marchbanks, who averages 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Marchbanks, a 2012 All Pac-12 selection, has a team-leading 73 steals and 120 assists this season.

She had 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in a 56-41 win over Saint Mary's Saturday in the second round of the WNIT. The Beavers had 10 blocks and 13 steals against the Gaels. Saint Mary's only shot 23 percent from the field.

The Huskies beat Utah in much the same way, limiting the Utes to 25 percent shooting from the field (14 of 57). Utah only hit one three-pointer in 22 attempts. Sophomore forward Michelle Plouffe, younger sister of former Husky player Andrea Plouffe, had a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"I thought we played really well defensively," said first-year coach John McGuff. "They (Utah) just couldn't generate enough offense."
Senior forward Charmaine Barlow was a big reason the Huskies had such great success on defense.

Barlow's defensive assignment was Utah guard Iwalani Rodriquez. Barlow -- a former Chief Sealth star and All a Pac-10 honorable-mention selection for defense last season -- responded, limiting Rodriquez to 4-of-17 shooting from the field.

On the offensive end, the Utes strategy was to sag on high-scoring 6--foot-3 senior center Regina Rogers, sometimes double- and triple-teaming her in the paint.

That left the perimeter open for Mollie Williams, who answered the challenge with 12 points, helping break open a tightly contested game. She also had 12 rebounds to complete a double-double.

Because Barlow, William's counterpart, was playing so well on defense, it limited Aminah's time on the floor. Williams did figure largely early in the game, however, when there were six lead changes in the first 12 minutes.

With the score 13-9, Williams grabbed an offensive rebound that led to Rogers' three-point play and a 15-9 advantage. Williams, who had two points and three rebounds, hit a 15-foot jumper minutes later to propel the Huskies out to a 21-13 lead that was never headed.

The win was especially sweet for Williams and the Huskies, who squandered a five-point lead against the Utes in their first meeting. Utah tied it at 32-all in regulation and outscored the Huskies 17-4 in overtime.

"We all took that loss personally," Williams said before the game. "This was a good win for us. We are all playing so well right now."

She singled out teammates Charmaine Barlow and Regina Rogers for taking her under their wings this season.

"Charmaine has been so encouraging to me, helping me improve at the (forward) position and Regina has been supportive of me from the start."
That kind of senior leadership is one of the main reasons Husky women's basketball is back on the collegiate map after four disappointing, losing seasons.