Oregon State Women's Basketball: What to Expect From the San Francisco Dons

San Francisco has yet to lose a game to a West Coast Conference opponent, behind strong performances from guard Freja Werth and forwards Debora dos Santos and Emma Trawally Porta. Could the Beavers be the first team to hand them a conference loss?

John Severs | 10 Hours Ago

Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck watches his team during the first half as the Oregon State Beavers host Eastern Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 22, 2024, at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Oregon State Beavers

After a losing against Washington State, Oregon State could use a big win to get back in the race for the conference title. They have an excellent opportunity for one tonight with the conference leaders, the San Francisco Dons (8-6 overall, 5-0 in WCC), coming to Corvallis. So what will it take for the Beavers to take down the Dons?

So far, no one else in the conference has been able to. San Francisco's season has been similar to the Beavers, starting the season struggling through a rough non-conference schedule before finding their footing in WCC play. Unlike the Beavers, the Dons are yet to lose against a West Coast Conference opponent, posting double digit wins over Gonzaga, LMU, Santa Clara, Saint Mary's and Pepperdine.

The most important match up to watch tonight is going to be in the key. Kelsey Rees has been the engine driving the Beavers' recent success, but in tonight's game she'll have a tough match up against San Francisco's Debora dos Santos (12.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG). Rebounding has been a key strength for the Beavers during their recent turnaround, but dos Santos, currently third in the conference in rebounds per game with 7.7, gives the Dons the ability to compete with Oregon State under the rim.

This could be a big game for Sela Heide. Winning the front court battle will be the key to victory, and another big play maker under the rim could make a difference. The Beavers will have to be careful though, as they can't neglect the perimeter to control the key.

San Francisco boasts two of the conferences top three point shooters in Freja Werth (14.8 PPG, 28 3PT) and Emma Trawally Porta (13.5 PPG, 22 3PT), and this year's Oregon State squad just doesn't have the ability to keep pace with their level of shooting. The Beavers will have to find a way to prevent the Dons from setting up at the three point line, because if Oregon State finds itself in a big hole early they'll struggle to catch up.

If there's a silver lining for Oregon State, it's that this year's San Francisco isn't well suited to exploiting OSU's biggest weakness, their propensity for turnovers. The Beavers are near the bottom of the conference in turnover margin, but the Dons aren't much better, ranked 8th with a -2.86 average margin. If Oregon State can win the rebounding battle and not lose the turnover battle too badly, they should be able to set the pace for the game.

Tip off for tonight's game is set for 6 PM PT at Gill Coliseum. The game will be aired on ESPN+.

Published 10 Hours Ago

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.