Beavers Set to Open 2016 in Los Angeles
December 30, 2015 | Women's Basketball
THE GAME: The No. 10/10 Oregon State women's basketball team (9-2) will ring in 2016 with its Pac-12 opener on Saturday, as the Beavers head to Southern California for a matchup with USC (12-1).
FOLLOW ALONG: Saturday's game can be viewed live on Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Los Angeles, with Krista Blunk and Tammy Blackburn on the call. Live audio will also be available with Ron Callan across the Beaver Radio Network, including on KEJO 1240 AM in Corvallis, as well as online at OSUBeavers.com. Live stats for all games can be found on OSUBeavers.com.
WHAT'S COMING UP: After taking on USC on Saturday, the Beavers will head to Westwood Monday for a matchup with No. 21 UCLA. The Beavers' next home game will take place on Jan. 8, when they play host to Oregon in the Civil War Rivalry Series presented by PacificSource Health Plans, McDonalds, Spirit Mountain Casino and Your Local Ford Stores..
TICKETS: Tickets for every home game this season are available at BeaverTickets.com or by calling 800-GOBEAVS. Nine home games remain on Oregon State's 2015-16 schedule, including marquee matchups against Stanford, California, Oregon and Arizona State.
OREGON STATE QUICK HITTERS:
- Ruth Hamblin, Jamie Weisner and Sydney Wiese have all been named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List (released Dec. 9). Oregon State is one of three schools in the country to place a trio of players on the list, joining Connecticut and South Carolina.
- Oregon State is currently ranked No. 10 in both the WBCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll and the Associated press rankings.
- The Beavers have been ranked in the top 11 of the AP Poll every week since Dec. 29 of 2014, and have been ranked in the coaches poll every week since April 7, 2014.
- Oregon State has been dominant in its nine victories this season, holding the ninth-highest scoring margin in the nation at 23.5 points.
- The Beavers have controlled the glass this season, leading the nation in defensive rebounds per game (35.0) and sitting second in rebounding margin (18.6). Oregon State has out-rebounded all of its opponents this season.
- Oregon State has also been one of the best shooting teams in the country, hitting 45.9 percent of its field goal attempts (19th in the nation) and 37.2 percent of its 3-point shots.
- The Beavers have seen a big jump in their free-throw percentage early in the season, shooting 79.3 percent (first in the nation) from the charity stripe through the first 11 games, compared to 68.3 percent last year.
- The Beavers have held 10 of their 11 opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the floor, and have not allowed an opponent to shoot better than 43.9 percent in any game.
- The third quarter has been Oregon State's time to shine this year, with the Beavers outscoring opponents 231-131 in the period following the halftime break this season, an average edge of 9.1 points per game in that frame.
- Dec. 21's game against Cal Poly snapped a streak of 41-consecutive games that the four-player combination of Deven Hunter, Ruth Hamblin, Jamie Weisner and Sydney Wiese had started together. The string dated back to the start of the 2014-15 season.
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE:
- The Beavers are in the midst of a challenge string of games, entering game four of a nine-game stretch that features four opponents in the top five and six opponents in the top-40 of the RPI (No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 USC, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 31 UCLA and No. 40 California).
- This will be the second-straight season Oregon State has opened conference play in Southern California, and the third-straight year OSU has started Pac-12 play in the state of California (2013-14 at Cal).
- Oregon State will be in the national spotlight when it takes on Arizona State on Feb. 1, as it makes an appearance on ESPN2 as part of ESPN's Big Monday coverage. The Beavers will be one of 15 women's teams in the nation to make a Big Monday appearance this season.
LAST YEAR IN LA:
- Oregon State swept USC and UCLA in Southern California for the first time since 2001 last season. This week, the Beavers will look to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
- OSU beat USC by double-figures in both of last year's meetings, winning 76-66 at the Galen Center and 68-35 at Gill Coliseum.
- Jamie Weisner score a combined 36 points and hit eight 3-pointers over the course of the two contests. Deven Hunter posted a double-double at the Galen Center last year, going for 15 points and 10 rebounds.
WITH A WIN OVER USC:
- The Beavers would open Pac-12 play with a win for the second-straight season.
- Oregon State would earn just its third win over USC at the Galen Center since 2003-04.
- Head coach Scott Rueck would notch his 100th career win with Oregon State.
SWISH SISTER: Jamie Weisner Quick Hitters
- Needs 15 more points to move into seventh on Oregon State's all-time list.
- Is shooting 49.6 percent from the floor, good for sixth in the Pac-12, and the second-highest percentage among guards in the conference.
- Is shooting 97.1 percent from the free-throw line, the best percentage in the nation.
- Has hit 16-straight free-throws since last missing from the line on Dec. 3 vs. Marquette.
- Has gone over 20 points four times this season, and has scored at least 14 points in every game but one.
- Her 17.7 points per game is good for sixth in the Pac-12 this season.
- Is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game over her last six games, and has at least four boards in all six of those contests.
- Is second in school history with 199 career 3-pointers, trailing only teammate Sydney Wiese.
- All-Pac-12 honors last season.
- Was All-Pac-12 honorable mention in her freshman and sophomore seasons.
- Was one of the best rebounding guards in the conference a season ago, pulling down 6.2 boards per game.
- Earned ESPNW National Player of the Week honors in January of 2015.
- Brothers Brett (Western Washington) and Michael (Montana) both played college basketball.
CANADIAN HAMMER: Ruth Hamblin quick hitters
- Named a preseason All-American by Lindy's, Athlon and Sporting News
- Made the All-Pac-12 Preseason Team
- Is listed as Lindy's preseason pick for National Defensive Player of the Year.
- Pac-12 Media Player of the Year in 2014-15, and was the conference's consensus Defensive Player of the Year.
- AP Third-Team All-American last year.
- Is averaging 11.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game over her last six games.
- Has dramatically improved her free-throw shooting this season, hitting 76.9 percent (20-26) of her shots from the line after entering the year as a 56.5 percent FT shooter.
- Oregon State's all-time leader in career blocks with 327, and sits second in Pac-12 history. Hamblin would need 75 more rejections to match current Pac-12 record holder Stefanie Kasperski (Oregon, 1987-90).
- Has hit 16 of her 26 shots over the last four games (61.5 percent).
- Hamblin is the NCAA's active leader in career blocks, leading Breanna Stewart (317).
- Hamblin currently sits at 990 career points and will look to become the 20th player in Oregon State history to surpass the 1,000 career point mark this year.
- Earned Second-Team Academic All-America honors last year, posting a 3.86 GPA as a Mechanical Engineering major.
- She was affectionately dubbed “The Canadian Hammer” by former Oregon State men's basketball standout Joe Burton during her freshman season.
- Hamblin is said to have “turned the corner” midway through her sophomore season. After scoring in double figures four times in her first 39 collegiate games, Hamblin has reached double-digits 42 times in her last 65 games, including five 20-point performances.
THE GIFT OF GABBY: Gabriella Hanson Quick Hitters
- Has posted the best set of back-to-back games in her collegiate career, scoring 19 points against Cal Poly and 18 points against Notre Dame.
- Has hit 14 of 28 field goal attempts (50 percent) and 7 of 13 3-point attempts (53.8 percent) over the last two contests.
- Is second on the team with 28 assists and leads the Beavers with 12 steals.
- Has hit at least one 3-pointer in six-straight games.
- Has at least one assist in every game this season.
- Is shooting a higher-percentage from 3-point range (38.3) than she is from the floor (38.2) this season.
- Made her first career start in the season-opener after serving as the team's “sixth man” last year.
- Is eighth in Oregon State history with a career 3-point percentage of 35.1.
- Was a Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention last season.
KT-MAC ATTACK: Katie McWilliams Quick Hitters
- Made her first career start against Cal Poly on Dec. 21, dishing out nine assists, matching the highest single-game total for any Beaver this season.
- Played 37 minutes against Notre Dame on Monday, a career high.
- Knocked down her first career shot attempt, hitting a 3-pointer less than 30 seconds after stepping onto the floor in her collegiate debut.
- Nine of her 13 baskets this season have come from 3-point range.
- Earned numerous awards in the state of Oregon during her high school career, including: two All-State honors, Oregon Live Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Oregon Sports Award for Best Prep Basketball Player and Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year.
- Made the honor roll all four years of high school.
- Earned a five-star rating while at South Salem High School.
THE HUNTER: Deven Hunter Quick Hitters
- Has started 78 consecutive games dating back to her freshman season.
- Is sixth in school history with 746 career rebounds, and needs nine more to move into a tie for fifth.
- Finished 2014-15 second on the team with 95 assists, the highest total of any non-guard in the Pac-12.
- Has at least one assist in 26 of her last 28, and 60 of her last 63 games.
- Has earned Pac-12 Academic Honorable Mention the last two seasons.
- Hunter's father Bert played nine seasons of minor-league baseball, including two at the AAA level.
- Has made trips to the Dominican Republic the last two summers as part of Beavers WIthout Borders.
GERMAN SENSATION: Marie Gulich Quick Hitters
- Notched her first career double-double against Portland on Nov. 16, scoring 10 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in just 14 minutes of playing time.
- Is averaging 13.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per 40 minutes this season.
- Pac-12 Freshman Honorable Mention last season.
- Played the best game of her freshman year at Oregon, scoring 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including a pair of impressive 3-point plays.
- Has played with both the German U-18 and U-20 National Teams.
I AM SAM: Samantha Siegner Quick Hitters
- Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team selection the last two seasons.
- Completed her bachelors degree at the end of her junior year, and is currently working on her masters.
- Played alongside Deven Hunter with Oregon Elite Basketball Club.
- Was a McDonalds All-America nominee in high school.
- Part of an athletic family, father played football at Linfield; grandfather, Ed Vetter, played baseball at Oregon; and uncle, Mitch Siegner, played football at Oregon.
QUEEN OF THE HILL: Jen'Von'Ta Hill Quick Hitters
- Missed seven games with a toe injury, making her return against Tennessee on Dec. 19.
- Has a record of 104-8 over the course of her collegiate career, going 71-2 in two seasons at Hutchinson Community College and 34-7 in her time wtih the Beavers.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU: Breanna Brown Quick Hitters
- Set a career-high with 12 points against Portland on Nov. 16, hitting four of her five field-goal attempts. Overall, Brown is shooting 62.5 percent (10-for-16) on the season.
- Has made the most of her playing time this year, averaging 22.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per 40 minutes on the floor.
- Made her return to the Oregon State lineup this season after redshirting the 2014-15 season.
- Finished 11th in the Pac-12 in blocks per-game (0.93) in her freshman campaign, despite averaging just eight minutes per contest.
- Shot 51.8 percent in her freshman year.
- Won back-to-back California State championships in 2012 and 2013 as a member of Bishop O'Dowd High School (Oakland, Calif.).
STAY KALMER: Taylor Kalmer Quick Hitters
- Recorded her first career double-digit scoring game against Idaho on Dec. 12, scoring 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
- Scored seven points on 3-for-8 shooting in her collegiate debut.
- Averaged 18.7 points per game in her senior season at Corona del Sol High School.
McDonalds All-America nominee
GOLD ORUM: Kolbie Orum Quick Hitters
- Scored 10 points in the season-opener against Longwood.
- Recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring games against Utah State and Corban last season.
CAPTAINING THE SHIP: Scott Rueck Quick Hitters
- Consensus Pac-12 Coach of the Year last season, after leading the Beavers to their first ever Pac-12 title.
- Earned WBCA Region 8 Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year last season.
- Has earned Pac-12 Media Coach of the Year honors three times in his five seasons as head coach.
- Is already the third-winningest coach in school history, and sits just one win short of 100 in his Oregon State career.
- Has been the architect of an accelerated turnaround in the OSU women's basketball program, bringing the team to national prominence in just five years.
- Has led the Beavers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, the schools first since 1996.
- Prior to joining the Oregon State program in 2010, Rueck built George Fox University women's basketball into a national power at the Division III level, leading the Bruins to a national title in 2009 with a perfect 32-0 record. In his 14 years at George Fox, Rueck's teams went 288-88, won seven conference titles and made three Elite-Eight appearances.
- Was inducted into the George Fox Hall of Fame in 2010.
- Graduated from Oregon State in 1991.
DISHIN' AND SWISHIN': Sydney Wiese Quick Hitters
- Has missed the Beavers' last two games due to injury. Wiese had previously made 71-consecutive starts since joining the program in 2013.
- Became the 19th player in Oregon State history to reach the 1,000-point mark when she knocked down a free throw in the final minutes of the Beavers' game against Idaho on Dec. 12. Wiese is the fourth-fastest player in Oregon State history to hit the milestone (Tanja Kostic, Carol Menken-Schaudt, Judy Shannon).
- Is second on the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, the second-highest total among Pac-12 guards (Jordan Adams, USC).
- Earned All-Pac-12 honors for the second consecutive season in 2014-15 and is on this year's All-Pac-12 Preseason Team
- Already sits atop the Oregon State career record book in 3-pointers made (225) and 3-point percentage (41.7).
- Is fourth in the NCAA in career 3-point percentage among active players (Katie Schubert, UT Martin - 42.5 percent; Kelsey Minato. Army - 42.0 percent; Michelle Miller, Princeton - 41.8 percent).
- Is closing in on the Pac-12's top-10 list for career 3-pointers, needing 12 more to match Bonnie Samuelson (Stanford, 2012-15) for 10th. Candice Wiggins (Stanford, 2005-08) owns the conference record with 295.
THE STAFF: Oregon State Assistant Coaches and Support Staff Quick Hitters
- Assistant Coach Jonas Chatterton enters his second season with the Beavers after spending four seasons at Colorado.
- Assistant Coach Mandy Close led the Beavers to three postseason appearances as a player from 2003-06. Close converted one of the most notable shots in Oregon State history, going coast-to-coast to hit the game-winning layup in the 2006 Civil War.
- Assistant Coach Eric Ely played internationally in France and Brazil, earning all-star status in Brazil in 1984 and 1985.
- Director of Operations Sharon Rissmiller joins the Beavers this season, after spending the last seven seasons as head coach at Pacific (Ore.).
- Director of Player Personnel Liz Clark played under Rueck at George Fox from 2001-05. Clark captained the 2005 Bruins team to an NCAA Division III Elite Eight appearance in 2005, and, along with Rueck, was part of the 2004-05 squad that was inducted into the George Fox Hall of Fame this summer.
ALWAYS GREENER: Tarea Green Quick Hitters
- Redshirting in 2015-16
- Holds Hillsboro High School records for points and rebounds in a season.
- Born in Corvallis, Ore.
A YEAR AGO: A look at the Beavers' historic 2014-15 season
- Oregon State is coming off its first ever Pac-12 Conference Championship, having won the regular-season title last season.
- The Beavers were selected as a No. 3 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and hosted the first two rounds of the tournament at Gill Coliseum. The tournament appearance was the second in as many years for Oregon State.
- Oregon State set a school record with 27 wins in 2014-15, shattering the previous record of 24. - The Beavers also notched a 16-2 mark in Pac-12 play.
FORZA BEAVERS:
- Oregon State took part in an international tour of Italy this summer, heading to Europe to enjoy the history of the nation, while also getting the opportunity to play four games against Italian opposition.
- The Beavers went 4-0 in their games in Italy, recording wins over Civitanova Marche Basket, AD Basket Femminile Le Mura, Umana Reyer Venezia and Eldelweiss Fassi Albino.
- Over the course of the trip, the Beavers also got enjoy numerous once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including touring the Roman Colosseum, visiting the Vatican, viewing the Statue of David and spending an afternoon on scenic Lake Como.
-For an in-depth look at the Beavers' overseas trip, visit the Italy Central tab on the women's basketball page of OSUBeavers.com.
BEAVERS AROUND THE GLOBE: Oregon State on the International Stage
- Coach Rueck was part of the coaching staff for Team USA at this summer's Pan-American Games in Toronto. Rueck helped the Red, White and Blue win silver.
With Team USA, Rueck coached Pac-12 players Sophie Brunner (Arizona State) and Kelsey Plum (Washington).
- Sydney Wiese made her Team USA debut this summer, earning a spot on the roster for the World University Games.
- Wiese's best international performance to date came against Japan in the quarterfinal round, when she went 5-for-6 and scored 13 points.
- Ruth Hamblin joined Wiese at the World University Games, earning a spot on the roster for Team Canada.
- Hamblin's best game of the event came against Russia in the semifinals, when she finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
- Wiese and Hamblin went head-to-head in the WUG Championship Game, with Wiese and Team USA taking the gold.
- Jamie Weisner played exhibition games in Spain with the Canadian Senior Women's National Team in 2015. She was also a member of the Development National Team that played six exhibition games in China averaging 20 minutes and 12.4 points per game.
