Beavers Begin March Madness Run Friday
THE GAME: The No. 10/10 Oregon State (26-4) women’s basketball team looks to begin an NCAA Tournament run Friday afternoon, when it hosts South Dakota State (24-8) in the event’s first round. The winner of that contest will take on the winner of the game between George Washington and Gonzaga, which will be played at approximately 4:30 p.m. Friday at Gill.
PARKING: Parking will be available in the Reser lots as well as the parking garage. Gameday parking will cost $10.
FOLLOW ALONG: The Beavers will be televised on the ESPN family of networks for the first time this season, with Friday’s game airing on ESPN2 via regional feed. There will also be a live stream available via ESPN3.com. Fans can find live audio online at osubeavers.com or on the Beaver Radio Network with Ron Callan. Live stats will also be available.
NCAA AT GILL: Friday’s game will mark the first time in school history that Oregon State women’s basketball has hosted an NCAA Tournament game at Gill Coliseum, and the first time a Beaver basketball team has played a home NCAA game at Gill since the OSU men’s team hosted Pepperdine in the 1962 Tournament. Oregon State women’s basketball did host an NCAA Tournament game in Salem back in 1983.
HISTORY WITH THE JACKRABBITS: The Beavers have played South Dakota State one time in school history, with that game coming back on Nov. 27, 2004 at the Paradise Jam in the US Virgin Islands. Former OSU player and current assistant coach Mandy Close was part of that squad, which shot 47.2 percent against the Jackrabbits on their way to the win.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES: Oregon State is making its seventh-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
- The Beavers are 3-6 in six previous trips, with their three wins coming: 75-62, over UCLA on March 19, 1983, 88-75 over Tennessee State in overtime, on March 17, 1995 and 55-36 over Middle Tennessee last season.
-Oregon State was a No. 3 seed in 1983, a No. 4 seed in 1984, an 11-seed in 1994, a No. 5 seed in 1995, a six-seed in 1996 and nine-seed last season
- The Beavers have never hosted an NCAA Tournament game in Corvallis. Nine women’s basketball posteseason games have been played at Gill Coliseum, with all of them coming in the WNIT.
HISTORICAL SEASON: The Beavers’ had one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2014-15.
- Oregon State won its first ever Pac-12 title this season, defeating Cal to clinch the regular-season crown outright. The Beavers only other conference title came back in 1983, when the team won the NorPac Conference
- OSU set a new school record with 26 wins this season, surpassing the school record of 24, which was matched last season.
- The Beavers also posted their best ever conference record, going 16-2 in Pac-12 play.
- The Beavers went 13-1 at home on the year, extending their home winning streak to 22-straight games in a stretch that began in the 2013-14 campaign. Oregon State went undefeated at home in calendar year 2014.
- Oregon State won 23 games for only the fourth time and second since 1982-83.
- The Beavers’ success on the floor translated to success in the stands, as the Beavers led the Pac-12 in attendance with and average of 4,167 fans per game on the season, 4,785 in conference play. Oregon State drew over 5,000 fans to Gill Coliseum five times, over 6,000 four times and broke the 7,000 fans mark against Idaho and Oregon. Noise levels on the floor were measured at 110 decibels during OSU’s game against California, roughly the same level as a loud rock concert.
TOURNAMENT RESUME: Oregon State made a strong case to receive one of the highest seeds in school history.
- The Beavers are ranked 10th in the nation by both the Associated Press and the USA Today/WBCA in the final rankings before tournament selection.
- The Beavers have notched three wins over top-15 opponents this season, going 3-1 in such games. Oregon State’s marquee win came in a road win over then No. 6/6 North Carolina. OSU would then proceed sweep the season series against No. 12/12 Arizona State. Oregon State’s only loss against a top-12 team came on the road against No. 8/8 Tennessee.
- Of Oregon State’s four losses, three came against teams chosen by the NCAA Selection Committee to be part of its preliminary top-20, which was announced on Feb. 11 (Tennessee, Washington, Stanford). All three of those squads earned top-5 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
PAC-12 RECOGNITION: The Beavers have cornered the conferences honors this season.
- Head coach Scott Rueck was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year by both the media and the coaches. The honor was his third overall and second consecutive media Coach of the Year honor.
- Junior Ruth Hamblin was named the media’s Pac-12 Player of the Year. She was also the media and coaches’ consensus selection for Defensive Player of the Year.
- Hamblin was joined on the All-Pac-12 squad (coaches and media) by junior Jamie Weisner and sophomore Sydney Wiese. The trio of All-Pac-12 selections led the conference and is the most in Oregon State history
- The Beavers led the Pac-12 with four Pac-12 Player of the Week awards this season (Hamblin twice, Wiese and Weisner once apiece).
OREGON STATE QUICK HITTERS: Some miscellaneous notes on the Oregon State women’s basketball team through the conclusion of the regular season.
- Oregon State is among the nation’s leaders in numerous shooting categories. The Beavers rank ninth in tha nation and first in the Pac-12 with a 45.5 shooting percentage, and sits 13th in the nation, shooting 37.3 percent from behind the arc.
- The Beavers have notched two 10-game winning streaks. The first such streak opened the 2014-15 season and was snapped at Tennessee on Dec. 28. That streak was immediately followed by another double-figure winning streak, which ended at Washington on Feb. 6.
- OSU has proven to be one of the best passing teams in the nation, notching 18.9 assists per game, good for fifth in the nation. The Beavers set a new school record with 40 assists against Sacramento State on Dec. 6. Oregon State has 567 assists this season, as it closes in on the school record of 579.
- The Beavers have notched numerous firsts this season, including: their first road sweep of USC and UCLA since 2000-01, their first ever road sweep of Colorado and Utah, their first season-sweep of the Arizona schools since 1994-95 and thier first win over Cal since 2005.
- The historic season has been accompanied by players moving up the school records. Ali Gibson and Jamie Weisner are both over 1,000 career points, making them the first Oregon State teammates to both reach that mark since Hollye Chapman and Leilani Estavan in 2004
- The Beavers have won 38 of their last 44 games in a run that dates back to last season’s 11-game winning streak.
DOMINANT DEFENSE: The Beavers have become a team known for their defensive prowess, and they reached a new level of stingyness this season.
- The Beavers are sixth in the nation in field goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 34.5 percent shooting from the floor.
- Oregon State has held its opponent below 40 percent shooting 21 times this season, winning all 21 of those games. OSU has also held nine opponents below 30 percent from the floor, including limiting No. 6/6 North Carolina to 27.6 percent.
- One of OSU’s best defensive outings of the season came against the Women of Troy, when the Beavers held USC to just 35 points, the lowest total in USC history.
- The top blocking team in the Pac-12 three of the last four years, OSU is again leading the conference and is 11th in the nation in blocks per game (5.9).
ON THE GLASS: The Beavers have proven to be a force on the glass this season.
- The Beavers are second in the nation and first in the Pac-12 in defensive rebounds per game, pulling down 31 per contest.
- Oregon State is 13th in the nation in rebounding margin, pulling down nine more boards than its opponent on average.
- OSU has two of the top 10 career rebounders in school history in juniors Ruth Hamblin and Deven Hunter.
- The Beavers have outrebounded their opponent in 26 of their 30 games this season. Oregon State is 24-2 when holding an edge on the boards and 2-2 when being out-rebounded.
FEAR THE SHOOTERS: Oregon State’s potent offense is a scary proposition to deal with. As one of the most balanced teams in the nation, the Beavers are a nightmare to defend.
- Oregon State is 11th in the nation with a 37.3 3-point percentage. The Beavers also sit 10th in the country with 8.4 long-balls per game.
- The Beavers have hit 251 shots from beyond the arc this season. The school record is 288 set last season.
- Oregon State has hit 15 3-pointers on two separate occassions this year, first against Butler on Nov. 27 and then against Cal on Feb. 28.
Sydney Wiese, Ali Gibson and Jamie Weisner are all among Oregon State’s top-five for career 3-pointers.
- Wiese, Weisner and Gabriella Hanson are all among Oregon State’s career leaders for 3-point percentage, checking in in the school’s top-10. Wiese and Weisner sit No. 1 and 2 in that catergory.
"CANADIAN HAMMER" QUICK HITTERS: Junior Ruth Hamblin was the media’s selection for Pac-12 Player of the Year, and earned consensus All-Pac-12 honors
- She was affectionately dubbed “The Canadian Hammer” by former Oregon State men’s basketball standout Joe Burton during her freshman season
- Hamblin has re-written the Oregon State record book when it comes to blocked shots. The 6-foot-6 Canadian became Oregon State’s career record holder for blocks with 209 in December, and hasn’t looked back from there, currently sitting at 288. Hamblin set the Pac-12 single-season record with 141 rejections last year, and is currently tied for the second-best total in school history with 115 this season. She also set the Beavers’ single-game record with 10 blocks against Oregon last season.
- Hamblin enters the post-season with 12 games this season of five blocks or more.
- She has more blocks this season than seven Pac-12 teams.
- The Hammer has blocked at least one shot in all but three games this year.
- Hamblin leads the Beavers with nine double-doubles this season and has 17 in her career.
- She has the highest scoring game for any Beaver this season, when she scored 31 points against Washington State on Jan. 16.
- Hamblin’s 57.5 field goal percentage is second-best in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation
- The junior turned a corner for the Beavers midway through last season. After scoring in double figures four times in her first 39 collegiate games, Hamblin has reached double-digits 35 times in her last 53 games, including five 20-point performances.
- Recorded Oregon State’s first triple-double in 30 years last season, putting up 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in the Beavers’ 84-70 win over Oregon on Jan. 13, 2014.
- Grew up on a 2,000-acre Black Angus cattle ranch in Houston, British Columbia, which is about a 16-hour drive north of Seattle.
- Hamblin was a Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honoree this season, with as 3.86 GPA as a mechanical engineering major.
JAMIE WEISNER QUICK HITTERS: Jamie Weisner earned All-Pac-12 honors this season, and has proven to be one of the Pac-12’s most prolific scorers over the last three seasons.
- Has continued to climb up Oregon State’s all-time scoring list after breaking the 1,000-point barrier. Weisner currently sits 14th wtih 1,125 career points.
- Weisner is one of the best 3-point shooters in school history, sitting fifth on Oregon State’s career list with 172 long-balls and second in career 3-point percentage at 40.2 percent.
She leads the Beavers with five 20+-point games this season, and has 15 such games in her career.
- Weisner has been in double-figures a team-best 23 times this year
- She is second in the Pac-12 among guards in rebounds per game with 6.3
- Earned ESPNW National Player of the Week honors back on Jan. 26, after scoring 26 points against Washington and 21 points against Arizona State
SYDNEY WIESE QUICK HITTERS: Sydney Wiese was named All-Pac-12 for the second year in a row, and has proven to be an outstanding floor-general for the Beavers
- She holds the Oregon State career record with 198 3-pointers. She moved into first place Feb. 13 against Arizona State, hitting long-ball No. 179 in just her 59th career game, exactly half the appearances of previous record-holder Felicia Ragland.
- In just her sophomore season, Wiese will now take aim on Candice Parker’s Pac-12 record for career 3-pointers, which sits at 295.
- Wiese is also Oregon State’s record-holder for 3-pointers in a single-season, knocking down 112 last year. She has knocked down 86 shots from beyond the arc this season, the second-highest total in school history.
- Her career 3-point percentage of 42.5 is good for first in school history.
- Wiese has received national regognition throughout the season, as she was named to the Naismith Award Preseason Watch List in November, and was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award (best point guard) Final 15 last month.
- She sits second in the Pac-12 and 23rd in the nation with 5.6 assists per game. Wiese’s 169 assists this season is tied for sixth in school history.
- Her best game of the year came against Cal on Feb. 28, when she scored 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field and 7-for-9 shooting from 3-point range.
ALI GIBSON QUICK HITTERS: Ali Gibson is a glue player for the Beavers, as well as a team leader.
- She has started all 129 games the Beavers have played since she joined the program four years ago.
- Head coach Scott Rueck regularly refers to Gibson as “the perfect player at the perfect time”, because she took a chance when the OSU program was down and has helped build the team into what it is today.
- Gibson is in Oregon State’s all-time top-10 for career points, checking in at No. 8 with 1,236
She has also hit 174 3-pointers, good for fourth in school history.
DEVEN HUNTER QUICK HITTERS: Forward Deven Hunter has started every game for the Beavers this season, and has provided a spark as a scorer, on defense and on the glass
- She is seventh on OSU’s career rebounds list with 667
- Hunter leads all Pac-12 forwards with an average of 2.7 assists per game, good for second on the team.
- She has at least one assist in all but one game this season.
- Hunter has posted four double-doubles this year, second only to Hamblin on the team.
MISCELLANEOUS QUICK HITTERS: Notes on the rest of the Oregon State squad
- Five Oregon State players competed for their national teams this summer, traveling to different continents and continuing to build their games. Ruth Hamblin played for the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team at the Zafer Cup in Turkey in August. Her best game was against the host Turks, when she scored four points and grabbed seven rebounds. She later made the 14-player practice squad for FIBA World Championships camp, but was not selected for the final 12-player roster. Jamie Weisner played for the Canadian Senior B National team at the William Jones International Cup in Taiwan in August. She led Canada’s 5-0 run to the title by averaging 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. Ali Gibson played for the Puerto Rican national team, which placed second to Cuba at the FIBA Americas Centrobasket Femenino in Monterrey, Mexico, in July. She was the team’s third-leading scorer and averaged 8.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Gabriella Hanson played for the Swedish U-20 team at the FIBA Euro ‘A” Championships at Udine, Italy, in July. She averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. Marie Gülich played for Germany’s U-20 team at the FIBA Euro ‘B’ Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, in July. She averaged a team-leading 11.6 points and 1.4 blocks in helping Germany win the event with an 8-1 record.
- Junior transfer Jen’Von’Ta Hill boasts an impressive win-loss record of 96-6 over the course of her collegiate career, which is currently in its third season. The point guard started her career at Hutchinson Community College, where she went a combined 71-3 and made a pair of NJCAA Final Four appearances.
- Gabriella Hanson, Oregon State’s “sixth man”, is eighth in school history with a career 34.9 3-point percentage.
- Head coach Scott Rueck received a two-year contract extension in October, keeping him at Oregon State through the 2019-20 season.
-Oregon State welcomed in an outstanding class of signees in November, as a trio of high school seniors signed national letters of intent. Katie McWilliams highlights the exciting group, coming to the Beavers with a five-star rating from ESPN. The 6-foot-2 guard is the No. 40 ranked player overall and is eighth in ESPN’s guard rankings. Taylor Kalmer will join McWilliams in the back-court. The 5-foot-7 point guard received a three-star rating from ESPN, and is listed as the No. 31 point guard in this year’s recruiting class. Tarea Green is a 6-foot-4 post player, with a three-star rating from ESPN, and is listed as the No. 45 post player in this year’s class.
