Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Beat San Francisco 64-57 for Big Conference Win
Oregon State picked up a big win back in Gill Coliseum Thursday night, taking down the San Francisco Dons 64-57. The Dons had previously been undefeated in West Coast Conference play, so the win gives the Beavers, now 8-9 overall and 4-2 in conference play, a big boost as they contend for a conference title.
RELATED:
Oregon State Women's Basketball: What to Expect From the San Francisco Dons
The first quarter was a three-pointer showcase, with the Beavers getting two from Tiara Bolden and one from Catarina Ferreira while the Dons picked up one each from Freja Werth and Emma Trawally Porta. A jump shot by Kelsey Rees after an offensive rebound gave the Beavers a slim, 15-13 lead after the first.
The focus on three-point shooting carried on in the second quarter. This time it was Susana Yepes leading the charge for Oregon State, hitting two from beyond the arc, with the Tiara Bolden also hitting her third three in the period. San Francisco answered with two threes from Cami Fulcher and one from Mia Vuksic.
RELATED:
Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Fall to Washington State 66-52
As the first half wound down, Oregon State's shooting started to dip, while the Dons held steady. That allowed San Francisco to take a late lead behind Vuksic's three, before a driving layup from Kennedie Shuler tied the game 32-32 as the first half ended.
Threes from Cami Fulcher and Freja Werth gave the Dons an early six-point lead in the third quarter, and Oregon State struggled to keep up. A three from AJ Marotte was the Beavers only scoring over a five minute stretch, but Oregon State's defense kept the game within reason. Finally, Tiara Bolden and Catarina Ferreira started cutting into the Dons' lead, and as time ticked away a pair of free throws from Ferreira put the Beavers in front, 48-46.
After both teams went scoreless for nearly four minutes to open the final quarter, Ferreira hit three free throws to give the Beavers a cushion. San Francisco didn't score until 4:27 left in the game, but some clutch shooting from Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler kept the Beavers in front. Oregon State did not give San Francisco much opportunity to find an open shot, and despite a late three from Freja Werth, a pair of AJ Marotte free throws sealed the Beavers win.
Bolden was the star Thursday night for the Beavers, scoring 19 points (including going 4-for-7 on threes) along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Catarina Ferreira struggled form the field, going 3 for 13, but was great when sent to the foul line, finishing the night with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. AJ Marotte also broke double digits, with 12 points, 3 rebounds and an assist.
RELATED:
Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Beat LMU 59-56 for Third Win in a Row
Oregon State now has a week off. They'll be back on the road next Thursday, traveling to Santa Clara to take on the Broncos. Following that, they'll be back in Corvallis on Saturday, for a rematch with the Portland Pilots.
Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for Sports Illustrated, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.