Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Pull Off Huge Upset, Take Down Portland 76-72 in OT Thriller

The Beavers outlasted the previously undefeated Pilots in an instant classic, going to overtime for the third time in three West Coast Conference games. Kelsey Rees put up a double double leading the charge for the Beavers.

John Severs | Dec 30, 2024

Mar 18, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oregon State Beavers mascot Benny Beaver before the first half against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images / Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images

On the road in Portland Oregon State pulled off their biggest win of the season,with the team coming together to hand the previously undefeated Portland Pilots their first loss of the season. The Beavers took down Portland 76-72, in their third overtime game in three West Coast Conference games, to move to 6-8 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Portland built an early lead in the first quarter, with maisie Burnham putting up a quick four points to give the Pilots a small lead. A 9 point first quarter from Kelsey Rees kept the Beavers close, with a Sela Heide free throw with 1:14 left in the period tying the game. Rees then gave the Beavers their first lead of the night on a fast break after a turnover, and at the end of the first Oregon State held onto a one point lead, 16-15.

Thread the needle 🪡#GoBeavs x @KennedieShuler pic.twitter.com/bSLolTNuOz
— Oregon State WBB (@BeaverWBB) December 31, 2024

The Beavers grew their lead to six early in the second, before a three from Maisie Burnham cut that lead in half. After an AJ Marotte jumper, Burnham hit another three, getting the OSU lead down to 2. A driving layup from Dyani Ananiev then tied the game for the Pilots. The Beavers grabbed momentum back, with an AJ Marotte three sparking a bit of a run, getting the lead back up to 6, before another Portland three, this time from Emme Shearer, got the Pilots within three. The Beavers led 32-29 at the half.

Shearer scored 5 points in the first 30 seconds of the third quarter to give the Pilots the lead back. AJ Marotte responded with a three for the Beavers, but Oregon State struggled to contain Portland's perimeter shooting, with Shearer, Dyani Ananiev and Maisi Burnham each scoring from beyond the arc allowing Portland to build a small lead.

Unstoppable 🫡

📺 ESPN+#GoBeavs x @HeideSela pic.twitter.com/nNvQNcjbRN
— Oregon State WBB (@BeaverWBB) December 31, 2024

Despite that, the Beavers kept things close. Kelsey Rees and Sela Heide defended the paint well, though that came at the cost of both getting into foul trouble. A free throw from Kennedie Shuler tied the game for the Beavers, 52-52, at the end of the fourth.

Oregon State couldn't buy a shot at the start of the quarter, allowing Emme Shearer to score five straight and get the Pilots back in front. Kelsey Rees did her part to keep Oregon State close, scoring a pair of field goals to get the Beavers within 2, Emme Shearer and Catarina Ferreira traded free throws to keep the margin at 2, as both teams struggled to hit their shots.

PG1 🤝 QB1 #GoBeavs x @KennedieShuler pic.twitter.com/U2Ft7sHFH3
— Oregon State WBB (@BeaverWBB) December 31, 2024

After a few minutes AJ Marotte was the first player to finally hit a field goal, tying the game with 2:35 left in the game. Kelsey Rees hit a free throw to put the Beavers up 1, but Portland responded with a McKelle Meek three to go up 2 with 45 seconds left. A Kelsey Rees layup tied the game for Oregon State, but unfortunately Rees missed the free throw that would have given the Beavers the lead.

Portland burned all their timeouts trying to score on the next possession, but Oregon State's defense held firm. The Beavers swarmed whoever the Pilots managed to get the ball to, and Portland could net get a shot off as the clock wound down, sending the game to overtime tied 65-65.

A Kelsey Rees free throw put the Beavers in front at the start of extra time, but Portland answered with an Emme Shearer hook shot. Kelsey Rees put back a Kenndie Shuler layup to put the Beavers back in front, Oregon State got the ball back after a charge on Portland, and the Pilots went to the full court press. The Beavers still got the ball down court, and Portland fouled Catarina Ferreira on the play.

Ferreira made her free throws to put the Beavers up three with less than two minutes in the game. Kennedie Shuler set up Kelsey Rees for a big time layup to get the Beaver lead to 5. Portland tried to find a three but their shots refused to drop

The vets 🤝

Up five after Ken's hustle, AJ's dime and Kelsey's finish! #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/vDUgvJEOAG
— Oregon State WBB (@BeaverWBB) December 31, 2024

Portland fouled Ferreira going for a steal, and she hit her free throws to put the Beavers up 7. Maisie Burnham hit a free throw to break Portland's cold streak, Down 6 with 45 seconds left, Portland kept the pressure up. Maisie Burnham fouled out and sent Kennedie Shuler to the line. Shuler put the Beaver lead back to eight. A free throw and a late three managed to get the OSU lead down to four, with less than 2 seconds in the game, It was close, but not close enough, as Oregon State pulled off the upset 76-72.

Kelsey Rees once again led the show for the Beavers. Rees finished with another double double, with 25 points and 12 rebounds. AJ Marotte contributed 14 points 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Catarina Ferreira and Tiara Bolden each added 10 points, and Ferreira also contributed 10 rebounds to give her a double double.

The Beavers ability to win the rebounding war, especially Rees and Ferreira's contributions, were keys to the win tonight. Oregon State out rebounded Portland by an outstanding 49 to 25 margin, including an 11 to 4 offensive rebound advantage.

This feels like a season shifting win for Oregon State. They already pulled off a gritty win over Gonzaga on Saturday, but Portland is in another league, and if the Beavers can keep this level of play up, they could contend for a conference title. We'll see if they can keep this pace up on Thursday, when they'll open the new year by welcoming LMU to Gill Coliseum.

Published Dec 30, 2024

JOHN SEVERS

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.