Oregon State
California
Beavers' Late Surge Falls Short against California on Senior Day
February 18, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2012
Corvallis, Ore. – The Oregon State women's basketball team (17-9, 8-7 Pac-12) battled back within four but couldn't overcome a 16-point second half deficit as California (20-7, 11-4 Pac-12) narrowly defeated the Beavers, 75-68, on Saturday afternoon in Gill Coliseum.
“I thought the effort was all there today,” head coach Scott Rueck said. “I thought that the first half was about the fun and craziest half we have ever had. We were making hustle plays everywhere. It was wild. We went through a drought in the second half, where they got rebound put backs, beat us in the boards, shot free throws whenever they felt like it and ended up getting away from us. The pressure mounted up and we didn't respond well offensively like we are capable of – credit them.
Then down the stretch we were fighting and scrapping. That is what we are about and what Earlysia [Marchbanks] has been about for her two years here. So I think it not only epitomized our team, but it epitomized her. She finished with a double-double today and even though it ended in a loss, it was one that we gave everything we had.”
Senior Earlysia Marchbanks (Salem, Ore.) led the Beavers on Senior Day with her fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 18 points and game-high tying 10 rebounds, adding a game-high four assists and four steals.
“[Senior Day] was a lot coming in,” Marchbanks said. “I knew that my whole family was going to be here, and I wanted to win a senior game at home, which hasn't happened in a long time. I also wanted to leave the fans with something, because their support since I have been at Oregon State has been incredible. Everyone has loved and looked out for me since day one. The pressures of wanting win and do well was on my shoulders today, but I don't think that it took me out of my game or put more on me than I could bear.”
The Golden Bears came out of the break in the same fashion as they opened the game, going on a 6-2 run heading into the first media break with 15:11 remaining in the game.
The Beavers took their third lead of the game on a Marchbanks basket, as part of a 7-0 run by Oregon State at 42-41, but California then quickly went on a 13-0 run en route to its largest lead of the game at the 61-45.
Junior Sage Indendi (Livingston, Mont.) hit 3-of-4 attempts in the last four minutes of the game, with freshman Ali Gibson (Woodbridge, Calif.) connecting twice and a near third completed attempt that went in and out, but the Beavers were never able to get back any closer than four.
California controlled the game early, opening on a 9-2 streak with Gibson earning the only points for the Beavers. The Golden Bears built their lead up to as many as seven at the 9-2 mark, but a 7-0 run, sparked by sophomore Alyssa Martin's (Portland, Ore.) five points brought the first tie of the game at nine all.
And it was just the first of five tie scores before the Beavers took its first lead on a junior Patricia Bright (Phoenix, Ariz.) layup at the 25-23 point, halfway through a 5-0 run by Oregon State. Cal's Layshia Clarendon cut the Beavers' lead to one, but Indendi quickly answered with a three ball to give Oregon State its biggest lead of the game at 29-25.
California regained the lead with just under two minutes to play, but Marchbanks led the Beavers on a 4-2 run to close out the half with Oregon State holding the slim 33-32 lead heading into the locker room.
Oregon State shot 53.8 percent (14-26) to California's 38.7 percent (12-31) in the first half, outrebounding the Golden Bears 16-15 and counting a pair of three-point baskets.
The Golden Bears were led by Layshia Clarendon with 22 points, while Talia Caldwell had 10 rebounds.
Overall, Oregon State shot 45.2 percent (28-62) to California's 39.0 percent (23-59), while counting six blocked shots – credit Bright with five – to one and tallying 11 steals to eight.
Oregon State heads to Eugene for the second installment of the Civil War series, presented by PacificSource Health Plans and Northwest Ford Dealers, next Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. contest.
Oregon State Notes:
- Junior Patricia Bright moves solely into second place on the single season blocked shots list with five in the game, 90 career.
- Senior Earlysia Marchbanks recorded her fifth double-double of the season, sixth career, with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Marchbanks has scored in double figures in 10 of the 14 home games this season. This was her 15th game this season in double figures.
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