Oregon State Women Rip Washington State, 60-35

The Beavers (10-8 overall, 3-4 Pac-10) never trailed in the game, leading by as much as 32 at the 7:42 mark of the second half.

Freshman guard Talisa Rhea set an Oregon State single-game record with eight three-pointers to pace the Beavers past Washington State, 60-35, Saturday night. Photo courtesy: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Freshman guard Talisa Rhea set an Oregon State single-game record with eight three-pointers to pace the Beavers past Washington State, 60-35, Saturday night at legendary Gill Coliseum.

Rhea’s eighth three-pointer came with 7:42 left in the second half and surpassed Felicia Ragland’s previous record of seven, last achieved Jan. 16, 2002 against UC-Santa Barbara.

The Juneau, Alaska native knocked down four three-pointers in each half and finished the game with a career-best 24 points. The freshman took 13 shots – all three-pointers – and finished with three assists and one rebound.

“Tonight’s game was really important for us to execute our offense, get some defensive stops and really continue to work toward forming our identity,” head coach LaVonda Wagner said. “I felt tonight that we had some people step up. I’m really proud of my team.

“Talisa, the way she shot the ball tonight was just magnificent. We knew they were going to zone us and throw us different looks at that zone. It was really important for us to be patient and execute. Alex (Mitchell) did a nice job of wanting the basketball down low and finishing at the rim. Every day we continue to get better.”

The eight three-pointers were just one shy of tying the Pacific-10 Conference record of nine last recorded by Stanford’s Lindsey Yamasaki against Washington on Feb. 24, 2001.

“I just felt like we were running our offense and moving the ball well and I was able to get open looks,” Rhea said. “My shot felt good. I think the most important thing was that our whole team was working together to move the ball.”

The eight three-pointers also marked a single-game high by a Pac-10 player this season.

Mitchell, meanwhile, was impressive in 26 minutes of play. The freshman was 6-of-9 from the field and 1-of-3 from the free-point line for a career-high 13 points. Mitchell, an Oakland, Calif., also posted two assists.

Brittney Davis scored in double-figures for the 12th time this season, finishing with 12 points after connecting on four baskets, two of which were three-pointers.

The Beavers (10-8 overall, 3-4 Pac-10) never trailed in the game, leading by as much as 32 at the 7:42 mark of the second half. Oregon State shot 52.3 percent from the field and connected on 10 three-pointers, which marked a season-high.

Davis and Ashley Allen both had four assists to pace the Beavers, as OSU managed 18 to Washington State’s eight. The Cougars (3-15, 0-7) also turned the ball over 18 times, five of which were due to OSU steals.

Davis had six points in the first four minutes to pace the Beavers, who went on a 13-0 run to start the game. Washington State managed its first points of the game at the 12:32 mark on a free throw by Colleen Betteridge. The Cougars were 0-for-5 from the floor and 0-for-3 from the free-throw line before Betteridge’s basket.

Alex Mitchell made it 19-1 at the 10:52 mark when she put back a three-point miss by Talisa Rhea. The Beavers started off the game making 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point line, including two by Rhea.

Oregon State extended the lead to 30-13 at the half. Rhea paced the Beavers with 12 points, all coming on four three-pointers. Davis had nine after connecting on three field goals, while Mitchell finished with six points and three rebounds in 15 minutes. Stacey Nichols paced the team with four rebounds.

The Beavers shot 47.8 percent in the first half, and made 6-of-13 three-pointers. Oregon State controlled the boards, 15-13, and forced Washington State into 12 turnovers.

The Cougars’ 13 first-half points marked a season low for an Oregon State opponent this season. Washington State shot just 22.2 percent as the team made just four field goals. Katie Appleton led WSU with five points in the first half.

The win gave Oregon State a Pac-10 series sweep for the last season. The win over the Cougars came two days after the Beavers overcame a 12-point first-half deficit for a 68-64 victory over Washington at Gill Coliseum.

Oregon State next takes to the road when it plays the first of four straight road games Thursday at USC. The game begins at 7 p.m. at the Galen Center and can be heard live by visiting www.osubeavers.com, Yahoo Sports or by tuning into KLOO 1340-AM. Todd Mansfield will be behind the mic calling play-by-play.

Source: OSU Athletics

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