Turns out all it took was one game.
Oregon State’s only problem was running out of games.
The Beavers have been there so many times this women’s basketball season during the fourth quarter, against the Pac-12′s best and worst. Close, but not good enough. Blew second-half leads of 13 and 17 points. The losses piled up, nine consecutive at one point.
Down to the regular-season finale last Saturday against Arizona, Oregon State had a breakthrough. The Beavers took a big lead, were challenged down the stretch and held on to win.
There was no better time to take that new-found confidence for a test drive than the Pac-12 tournament. The 11th-seeded Beavers, trailing by eight to No. 6 seed USC with seven minutes left in Wednesday’s first-round game at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, didn’t waver. OSU outscored the Trojans 21-5 down the stretch to win 56-48 to earn a berth in the tournament quarterfinals.
“You could tell from our Arizona game, our confidence was the same,” said Raegan Beers, who led the Beavers with 18 points and nine rebounds. “Our demeanor was about the same as it was for Arizona and that’s why we pulled out that one, and that’s why we pulled out the win tonight.”
It was a win that allows OSU (13-17) to live another day. The Beavers move to the tournament quarterfinals, where they’ll face 3-seed Colorado at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Oregon State coach Scott Rueck endlessly searched for answers to help get the Beavers over the hump. Time was the answer for a team with five freshmen, many who play key roles, and the loss of a key veteran in guard Talia von Oelhoffen.
“This group just needed time. Certainly there’s a confidence within our group because we’ve played everybody tough,” Rueck said. “Inside, it’s been building. It’s like a wave that’s just ready to crash. That’s how it’s felt. All the lessons have paid off. Something’s flipped.”
USC (21-9) had Oregon State against the wall. A game that the Beavers seemed to have under control late in the third quarter flipped to the Trojans favor when they took a 43-35 lead with seven minutes remaining.
Suddenly, all those lessons came into play. The close losses to co-conference champions Stanford and Utah. The overtime setback at USC. All painful, all where a play here or there, it’s a win.
That wave? It crashed all over the Trojans.
Within minutes, the eight-point deficit was gone, as Oregon State ran off 11 consecutive points to take the lead. The Beavers never trailed again, as they held the Trojans to two baskets during the final 7:21.
“For the most part, we made them work for their shots all game, and we made them shoot the shots we wanted them to shoot,” Rueck said.
Maturity paid off at the offensive end, too. The Beavers got plenty of good looks during the final minutes, and made USC pay.
“We know where to go with the ball now down the stretch, better than we used to,” Rueck said. “We’re harder to stop down the stretch. … Then we made 15 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter. That’s winning basketball.”
An unsung hero in Oregon State’s performance was A.J. Marotte. The sophomore wing came off the bench and delivered an attitude, defense and eight points to help spark the comeback. Rueck thought Wednesday’s game was Marotte’s best defensive performance of her career.
“I felt like she was so disruptive. She competed on the boards at another level,” Rueck said. “It’s just so fun to watch her develop because nobody plays harder than A.J. She’s going to give you everything she has for every second.”
While OSU’s roster tilts heavily toward underclassmen and freshmen, the Beavers lean hard on senior guard Bendu Yeaney. As the stakes elevated, Yeaney seemed to have more fun. Down the stretch there were times she was guarding the USC ballhander, while also motioning her hands to the crowd to pick up the noise.
“She’s easy to want to play hard for. She elevates all of us to another level, whether it’s on the court or in the huddles,” said freshman guard Adlee Blacklock.
Wednesday’s win is by no means a parade worthy event. The Beavers are 13-17, and their next loss will end their season, unless they win the Pac-12 tournament. But given the trials of the 2022-23 season, and all the questions wondering if OSU’s program had slipped, what has happened during the past week make it feel all worthwhile.
“It’s been a joy to watch the progress as a teacher and a coach. I’ve loved every second of it, and I’m just sitting here on the inside, grinning ear to ear,” Rueck said.
Nick Daschel reported from Las Vegas
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
