Oregon State
Washington
Beavers Edge Huskies to Book Spot in Pac-12 Final
March 06, 2016 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Oregon State women's basketball team will make its second ever appearance in the Pac-12 Championship game Sunday, after defeating Washington 57-55 in the tournament semifinal Saturday evening at Key Arena in Seattle, Wash.
The Beavers led by seven points with two minutes remaining, but a late Washington surge got the Huskies back within two in the closing seconds. Husky standout Kelsey Plum took a shot as the game expired, but the Beaver defense contested the effort well, forcing a miss by the junior.
The Beavers will take on UCLA in the Pac-12 Final Sunday evening at 6 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN.
Senior Jamie Weisner surpassed the 20-point mark for the second-straight game, shooting 8-for-13 from the floor to finish with 20 points. Junior Sydney Wiese ended the evening with 16 points and four assists.
Senior Ruth Hamblin notched her second-straight double-double, going for 10 points and 12 rebounds. She also set the Pac-12 Tournament record for career blocks, finishing the evening with a total of 24.
The Beavers succeeded in holding Plum to a season-low 14 points on 4-for-19 shooting. Junior Gabriella Hanson played lockdown defense on the Husky guard most of the night, and contributed on the offensive end by dishing out seven assists.
For the second-straight game the Beavers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 12-5 lead. Washington battled back to briefly take the lead at 16-14, but Oregon State responded by immediately leveling the score. The two sides would go back and forth for the remainder of the period, and the teams headed to the second frame level at 21.
The even game continued into the second quarter, with neither team able to secure a significant advantage on the scoreboard. A pair of late free throws would give Washington a 37-35 edge heading into the intermission.
Oregon State wasted no time in the second half, jumping back in front on its first possession with a longball from Wiese. The Beaver defense would clamp down from there, holding UW to two points in the first five minutes of the third quarter. OSU would limit the Huskies to seven points in the period, as it took a 48-44 lead into the final frame.
The Beavers did not score for the final six minutes of the game, but an outstanding defensive effort down the stretch carried Oregon State to victory.
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