Oregon State Women Defeat Lewis & Clark, 71-39

The Beavers open the regular season Nov. 10 against Cal Poly.

Mercedes Fox-Griffin had 10 assists in Oregon State's win. Photo courtesy: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Oregon State women’s basketball team opened its season with a 71-39 exhibition win over Lewis & Clark Thursday night at Gill Coliseum.

“This was a good first game, but we do have things to work on,” Oregon State head coach LaVonda Wagner said. We did an excellent job of rebounding the basketball today, which is very important. We just have to continue getting better every day in practice.

Oregon State center Tiffany Ducker fell one rebound short of a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds as well as two blocks. Freshman guard Talisa Rhea led the Beavers in scoring with 15 points in her collegiate debut.

The Beavers were also helped by a strong performance by guard Mercedes Fox-Griffin, who played a team-high 34 minutes on the court. Fox-Griffin led the Beavers with 10 assists on offense and six steals on the defensive end.

As a team, the Beavers recorded 16 steals while holding the Pioneers to 39 percent shooting from the floor.

Oregon State also held a solid advantage on the boards, out-rebounding Lewis & Clark, 44-28. The Beavers were successful at creating second chance opportunities, picking up 26 of their 44 rebounds on the offensive end.

The first half was dominated by a strong Oregon State defense.

The Beavers held the Pioneers scoreless for the first 6:35 of the game, setting the tempo for the rest of the half.

Oregon State kept up the defensive pressure for the rest of the half, keeping the Pioneers to 11 first half points as well as recording seven steals. Tiffany Ducker found her home in the post, collecting five first-half rebounds to go with 9 first half points.

The second half saw the Beavers’ offense come together to score 41 points on 45 percent shooting. Rhea came up with 13 of her 15 points in the second half while guard Julie Futch contributed six rebounds as well as 6 points in the second half.

Three other Oregon State players saw their first action for the Beavers in this game.

Junior guard Brittney Davis started and collected 14 points as well as four steals. Freshman forward Brittany Eskridge recorded 2 points in her 17 minutes of play while sophomore guard Antoinette Reed grabbed two rebounds and a steal in eight minutes.

Lewis & Clark was led by forward Tallera Rich’s 11 points, while forward Micahela Satter collected five rebounds.

The Beavers return to action at Gill Coliseum on Monday, November 5th at 7 p.m. against Team Concept.

Reserved tickets are $10, while general admission for adults is $7 and for children, they are $5. Benny’s Kids Club members get into the game for free if they wear their t-shirts, and applications can picked up at all women’s basketball games or by visiting www.osubeavers.com.

The Beavers open the regular season Nov. 10 against Cal Poly in a 3 p.m. tip at Gill.

Tickets for the 2007-08 women’s basketball season can be purchased online at www.osubeavers.com or by calling 1-800-GO-BEAVS.

Tickets may also be purchased by visiting the OSU Athletic Ticket Office located at Gill Coliseum. Ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Source: OSU Athletics

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