Oregon State advanced to the quarterfinals of the West Coast Conference tournament on Saturday, but defeating obstinate San Diego required a strong second half.
At Gill Coliseum, the Beavers defeated the Toreros 64-51 after shooting 60% in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit.
On a day when the team honored three seniors and coach Scott Rueck won the 600th game of his 29-year college career, Oregon State made 12 of 20 shots in the second half.
For Oregon State, Tiara Bolden scored 13 points and Kennedie Shuler scored 12. As the Beavers defeated San Diego 40–25, Kelsey Rees, one of three seniors playing their final OSU home game, pulled down 14 rebounds.
With two games left, the victory gave Oregon State (15-14, 11-7) the opportunity to maintain exclusive possession of fourth place, one game clear of fifth-place San Francisco. A spot in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament is guaranteed to those who place fourth or higher.
If Oregon State defeats Saint Mary’s and San Francisco loses to Portland on Thursday, they will secure fourth place.
For the first time this season, Oregon State has a winning record at 15-14. Only Gonzaga, the co-WCC leader, has defeated Oregon State in overtime, and the school has won six of its past seven games.
Sela Heide pulled down 11 rebounds and AJ Marotte scored 10 points, providing some statistical highlights for the Beavers’ other two seniors.
San Diego led with 13 points from Truitt Reilly (6-21, 2-16).
After Oregon State’s offensive stalled for the last eight minutes of the second quarter, San Diego led 32-26 at the break.
Early in the second quarter, when shots were going everywhere but the hoop, the Beavers had a 19–17 lead at the end of the first quarter and had made 9 of their first 14 shots. OSU missed 13 of its last 15 shots in the first half, turning a 21-19 advantage into a six-point deficit at the intermission. Before settling on a six-point lead at the half, San Diego had an eight-point lead.
With an outstanding third quarter, Oregon State bounced back from its second quarter setbacks. The Beavers outscored the Toreros 23-10 to take a seven-point advantage into the fourth quarter, swiftly erasing the six-point halftime deficit and more. During the third quarter, OSU made 8 of 10 shots, with Bolden scoring 8 points and Rees scoring 7.
Early in the fourth quarter, San Diego pulled to within 49-45, making it somewhat exciting. Ally Schimel, however, restored OSU’s momentum by scoring the first five points in a 12–2 run that increased the Beavers’ lead to 14 points.
Oregon State travels to Saint Mary’s on Thursday and Pepperdine on Saturday to wrap out the regular season.
–Nick Daschel | @nickdaschel | @nickdaschel.bsky.social | [email protected] Get the newest news and the best stories by subscribing to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts. Your support is essential to our journalism. Sign up for OregonLive.com now.
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