Oregon State
Washington
Twenty Win Season Concludes in WNIT Sweet 16
March 20, 2012 | Women's Basketball
March 20, 2012
Corvallis, Ore. - Senior Earlysia Marchbanks (Salem, Ore.) scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season and second straight, but Oregon State fell to Washington 55-49 in the WNIT Sweet 16 Tuesday night at Gill Coliseum.
Oregon State ended the year, an expected rebuilding season, with a 20-13 record.
The Beavers couldn't overcome foul trouble in the second half as starter junior Patricia Bright (Phoenix, Ariz.) was disqualified with five personals and Marchbanks and junior Thais Pinto (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) played significant minutes down the stretch with four personals. The foul problems proved to be a big key in the game as Washington attempted 26 from the free throw line, while Oregon State had just 14 opportunities.
"It is incredible what this group has done," head coach Scott Rueck said. "We didn't have a team two years ago, and this is the fourth season in the last 20 years where Oregon State has achieved 20 wins. This team broke records all year long, for example we have the second-best shot blocker in the history of the Pac-12 conference. Also, we have a first team All-Conference, an All-Freshman and a top defensive player. What this team did was incredible this year, which cannot be understated. I am most proud of the way we did it, and what it does to our future. The legacy of this team will live on here, and they have moved us a couple steps ahead in the rebuilding process.
Oregon State started the game in impressive fashion jumping out to a 14-5 lead on a Pinto jumper at the 13:37 mark. The Huskies then took advantage of their size in the paint to battle back to a 25-25 tie at halftime, thanks mainly to Regina Rogers' 12 points; the Huskies' leading scorer for the season ended with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds - seven of those coming on the offensive end.
The Beavers struggled from the field in the second half hitting just 26 percent and would eventually fall behind 48-40 at the 6:19 mark. Oregon State then crept to within three points on three occasions and twice had three-point field goals fall short on game-tying attempts with under two minutes to play.
Freshman Ali Gibson (Woodbridge, Calif.) was Oregon State's second-leading scorer with 11 points, junior Sage Indendi (Livingston, Mont.) added 10 points and Bright blocked seven shots to pad her single season school record to 115.
The memorable season comes to a close for a team that was picked to finish 12th in the Pac-12, but instead tied for fifth and recorded one of the biggest turnarounds in women's college basketball history from the previous season. Rueck will welcome back every member from this year's team except Marchbanks, who concluded her two-year Oregon State career with 675 points, 417 rebounds and 186 assists.
"I couldn't be more proud," Marchbanks said. "Coming here was definitely a good decision. Looking back at last season and this one shows a complete turnaround. I am so proud of the team and of everything we have worked for. We come into the gym, and we are ready to learn and work hard. We have done that all year and proven it on the court. To lose now hurts, but to get to the WNIT and into the Sweet 16 is more than a lot of other teams can say that they have done. Overall, I am very proud of us."
Oregon State Notes
- Senior Earlysia Marchbanks earned her seventh double-double of the season, eighth career, and second of the WNIT.
- Marchbanks tallied her third 20-plus points game of her career and fifth consecutive game in double-figures.
- Oregon State's 20-win season is the fourth in the last 20 years.
- Junior Patricia Bright set the second-best Pac-12 conference single-season blocked shots record, finishing the season with 115.
- Even with the presence of Washington's Regina Rogers the Beavers were able to shoot 50 percent from inside the three-point line.
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