Pan American Games Day 1: Gibson Growing Into Leadership Role With Puerto Rico

LIMA, Peru – When Ali Gibson committed to head coach Scott Rueck and the Oregon State women's basketball team, she was committing to a vision. Five years later she was carried off the floor by her teammates, as the Beavers celebrated the first Pac-12 title in program history.

Tuesday morning, Gibson's impressive basketball resume made another impressive stride, as she took the court for the second Pan American Games of her career. Puerto Rico took down Paraguay in the opening game of the event, with Gibson finishing in double-figures with 12 points.

Gibson's post-collegiate career has centered on Puerto Rico. The guard was the No. 1 pick in the BSNF (Puerto Rico's professional league) Draft in 2015, and has competed for the Puerto Rican National Team at numerous international events, notably helping the squad earn qualification to the FIBA World Cup by finishing third at the 2017 FIBA Americup.

"I feel like I was a baby when I first started with Puerto Rico, but now I'm one of the oldest on the team," Gibson said. "I've taken on a new role with leadership, and I've slowly been learning Spanish. It's been a lot of fun."

"My time at Oregon State was everything. It gave me confidence on the basketball court and in life ... It taught me how to trust people, how to lead, and that was all really important."

Take a look at what @Agibbles had to say about her time at OSU after Puerto Rico's win! pic.twitter.com/CfhhXhY5WQ
— Oregon State WBB (@BeaverWBB) August 6, 2019

Gerardo Batista, the head coach of the Puerto Rican National Team, Gibson is an integral part of their squad. A multi-faceted threat that provides value both on and off the court.

"Ali is one of our best players. She can play defense, she can score, and she can put the ball on the floor. She is a very intelligent basketball player. We are very happy to have her on the team. Ali has been around for a while, and her leadership is very important for our team."

No longer playing in a professional league, Gibson stays in basketball shape by working out on a daily basis, often at Orange Theory Fitness. Despite being many miles from Corvallis, Ore., she remains in touch with the Oregon State squad, and is excited by the number of players competing at the Pan American Games.

"I follow the team really closely, and I take pride in what they do. You see Jamie (Scott) and Ruth (Hamblin) here, and then now Mikayla (Pivec) as well. It's great to see how they keep building. The squad keeps grinding and it's really fun to watch."

Often referred to by coach Rueck as the "perfect player at the perfect time", Gibson proved to be a vital piece of building what has become one of the strongest women's basketball programs in the nation. The guard helped lead the Beavers to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996 her junior year, before capping off her season with the first of what would eventually become back-to-back-to-back Pac-12 titles.

Gibson started all 131 games the Beavers played in her four seasons with the team, amassing 1,262 points, good for 11th in school history. She also knocked down 178 3-pointers, tied for third most in the OSU record book.

And no matter where her travels take her with international basketball, Gibson will always remember Beaver Nation and Gill Coliseum.

"My time at Oregon State was everything," Gibson said. "It gave me confidence on the basketball court and in life. Being able to start something from the ground up was amazing, and doing it with the people I got to work with was amazing. It taught me how to trust people, how to lead, and that was all really important."

Puerto Rico will be back in action Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT, when it faces Brazil.

Recapping Day 1 at the Pan American Games
Puerto Rico opened the day with a 91-73 win over Paraguay. Gibson was one of four players in double-figures, finishing with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Ruth Hamblin scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, but Canada could not overcome a third-quarter surge from Brazil, taking the loss 79-71. Jamie (Weisner) Scott finished with eight points and five rebounds.

Mikayla Pivec helped lead the USA to a 70-62 win over Argentina, scoring 11 points and pulling down five rebounds. The guard started for the Stars and Stripes, and led all players with 35 minutes played.

Remaining Schedule of Oregon State Players at Pan-American Games
All times listed PT

Wednesday – Aug. 7
8:30 a.m. – Canada (Scott/Hamblin) vs. Paraguay
4 p.m. – USA (Pivec) vs. Virgin Islands
7 p.m. – Puerto Rico (Gibson) vs. Brazil

Thursday – Aug. 8
11:30 a.m. – USA (Pivec) vs. Colombia
7 p.m. – Canada (Scott/Hamblin) vs. Puerto Rico (Gibson)

Friday – Aug. 9
8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. - 7^th-place/5^th-place/Semifinals

Saturday – Aug. 10
4 p.m. – Bronze Medal Game
7 p.m. – Gold Medal Game

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Pan American Games Day 1: Gibson Growing Into Leadership Role With Puerto Rico

Players Mentioned

Ruth Hamblin

Mikayla Pivec

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