In a sense, Oregon State’s season-ending 62-54 loss to Colorado in Thursday’s Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament quarterfinals was a snapshot of the Beavers’ 2022-23 season.
So much promise. Great moments. Frustrating stretches. Incredible will. Came up short.
Such was the story of Oregon State’s 13-18 season. The Beavers threw a scare into many of the country’s best teams this season. Beat a few of them, even. Came close so many times, but whether it was youth or a missing piece, the losses mounted.
It was no different Thursday. The 11th-seeded Beavers didn’t flinch when playing No. 3 Colorado, a team that pounded OSU a month ago in Corvallis. Oregon State gave Colorado fits early on, taking a 27-18 lead at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas with an offense that looked as good as it had all season.
Then came the frustration, a 14-minute stretch when the Beavers could score only eight points. It didn’t deter OSU, even when trailing by 11 and less than six minutes left. The Beavers made a run at Colorado, whittling the deficit to four, with chances to get closer.
But just like many of the 14 Pac-12 losses this season, there was an empty feeling that comes with coming close but not achieving the desired result.
“The wins weren’t what we wanted, so from that point of view, obviously a disappointing year,” OSU coach Scott Rueck said. “But this team had no quit all year. Not one game did this team quit. I thought it was just another inspiring performance by our team.”
Oregon State heads into the offseason with a roster Rueck believes could be “very special” in a year or two. It includes five freshmen, several who had banner first years. Raegan Beers was the Pac-12′s freshman and sixth person of the year. Timea Gardiner, one of the nation’s top recruits for the class of 2022, showed her potential despite missing three months of the season. Adlee Blacklock could soon become one of the conference’s best perimeter scorers. Lily Hansford and Martha Pietsch had moments.
Several veterans, like Talia von Oelhoffen, A.J. Marotte, Shalexxus Aaron and Jelena Mitrovic — if she decides to begin a post-graduate school path — give reason to think Rueck might be right.
But. There’s always a but. It’s the next few months, which in recent years have turned college basketball upside down because of the transfer portal. It left a big hole in OSU’s roster a year ago, when four key players left for other schools.
What confidence does Rueck have that OSU’s roster largely stays intact for the 2023-24 season? Rueck’s sense is this team is much like his teams before the pandemic, when he says he lost four transfers over 23 years.
“But, anything’s possible,” Rueck said. “In this day and age, I show up and I work with what I’ve got and do my best every single day. Whatever happens, happens. My hope is obviously everyone stays. I love this team.”
One player who won’t advance to next season is Bendu Yeaney. The sixth-year senior transferred to Oregon State for her final year, after making stops at Indiana and Arizona. Yeaney wanted to come home — she grew up in Portland and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy — and make an impact on OSU’s program.
Yeaney became an emotional leader, and particularly when von Oelhoffen was sidelined with an injury, the lead guard. For someone who has experienced some incredible highs in college basketball — Yeaney played on Arizona’s NCAA runner-up team two years ago — a 13-18 record is a letdown.
It didn’t deter from the experience, though.
“We were up and down sometimes, but it was fun,” Yeaney said. “I’m happy. I’m not happy about how it turned out, but I’m happy that I came back home. I think we grew as a team. Hopefully I helped them with their leadership for years to come.”
— Nick Daschel reported from Las Vegas.
