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
Oregon State put together their most dominant win of the season Saturday afternoon, devastating the Saint Mary's Gaels 80-45. The win moves the Beavers to 11-13 overall, and 6-3 in the West Coast Conference.
RELATED:
Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Fall to Washington State 66-52
32 seconds after tip off Tiara Bolden hit a three to give the Beavers a lead they would hold for the rest of the game. By the end of the first quarter the Beavers had a 19 point lead, and by the end of the first half they were up by 20.
As good as Oregon State's scoring looked, it was their defense that made the difference in the first half. Saint Mary's only shot 29% from the field, including going 0 for three on three point attempts. The Gaels just could not find any way to consistently score on Oregon State.
RELATED:
Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Fall to San Francisco 54-52
That changed in the third quarter, as the Gaels finally found a rhythm, but it couldn't match Oregon State. An 8 point quarter from Kennedie Shuler helped the Beavers keep the pressure on the Gaels. Once the fourth quarter rolled around, Saint Mary's scoring began to fall off again. Oregon State's did not, and a 22 point final quarter sealed the 35 point, 80-45 win.
Kelsey Rees once again led the Beavers in scoring, with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Kennedie Shuler and Sela Heide also made big impacts, each scoring 14 points. Shuler also added 8 assists and 3 rebounds, while Heide contributed 5 rebounds.
RELATED:
Oregon State Women's Basketball: Beavers Take Down Santa Clara 74-72 in Overtime
Turnovers have been a big issue for Oregon State this season, but for once the Beavers finally won the TO battle, and won it decisively. The Gaels turned the ball over 16 times compared to the Beavers 5, and Oregon State capitalized on the Saint Mary's mistakes, scoring 15 points off turnovers.
With the big win on Saturday and Thursday's win over Pepperdine, it feels like the Beavers have found their footing again after their four game skid a couple weeks ago. Next week they'll be back on the road, taking on Loyola Marymount on Thursday, February 6th and San Diego on Saturday, February 8th.