OMN Sports presents the final four events for the bracket on the best plays and moments from OSU Fall and Winter Sports. Voting for the rounds is available on OMN Sports social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

 

Women’s Soccer Seed 4: 87th minute win versus the Ducks (November 2019) 

The stage was set in dramatic fashion for the Beavers’ Women’s Soccer Team on their final game of the season, and senior defender Paula Leblic was able to deliver the heroics. 

On a Nov. 7 senior night against the rival Oregon Ducks, Leblic lined up for a free-kick in the 87th minute of a scoreless game. Despite a relentless offensive attack from the Beavers that included 14 shots, Oregon State could not slip a shot past the Ducks’ senior goalkeeper Katelyn Carter. That is, until Leblic’s free-kick lofted over a wall of Oregon defenders, bounced off the left crossbar, and into the goal for a 1-0 lead that would hold throughout the remainder of the match. 

The goal marked Leblic’s second of the 2019 season, her senior year with the team. The narrow 1-0 lead proved to be all that Oregon State needed on offense, relying on a strong defensive effort to shut down any attempt the Ducks made at scoring. 

The Beavers’ as a team held Oregon to 10 shots, but five of those shots ended up on goal, requiring saves from Oregon State’s sophomore goalkeeper Bridgette Skiba. Skiba was able to rise to the challenge, helping keep the Ducks scoreless and earning PAC-12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors for her efforts. 

With a great effort from Leblic, Skiba, and the rest of the roster, the Oregon State Women’s Soccer team was able to earn a Civil War victory on senior night and avenge their loss from the season before. 

 

Football Seed 1: Togiai Hurdle versus ASU (September 2019)

On the Oregon State Beavers’ Nov. 16 game against the Arizona State Sun Devils, senior tight end Noah Togiai put his name on the season’s highlight reel with one of the best catches of the year. 

Faced with first and ten from the Sun Devils’ 12-yard line, Togiai brought in a pass at the line of scrimmage from senior quarterback Jake Luton and was faced with a bit of open field before meeting with Arizona State’s redshirt junior defensive back Jack Jones at the five-yard line. 

Rather than taking the short gain and settling for second down, Togiai raised the bar, leaping over Jones’ attempted tackle and successfully landing on his feet with a clear path to the endzone. From there, Togiai carried the ball into the endzone to extend the Beavers’ lead to 35-21 with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter. 

Togiai’s heroics proved to be clutch in an important game for Oregon State. The late third-quarter touchdown grab would be the Beavers’ last points of the game, and that 35-point mark was just enough to pull out a one-point win against the Sun Devils’ on what was Oregon State’s senior night. 

With the win, the Beavers were able to earn their first conference win at home since their 2016 Civil War victory, while reaching the five-win season mark for the first time since 2014. Every score proved to be important in that home win, but Togiai’s hurdling touchdown was the deciding play.

 

Women’s Basketball Seed 1: Pivec buzzer beater versus ASU (February 2020) 

The Oregon State Women’s Basketball team was a perfect 15-0 at the start of the season, but all of that came crashing down when the Beavers went up against the Arizona State University Sun Devils on Jan. 12. The Beavers were defeated by a score of 47-55, giving them their first loss of the season. 

Heading into the rematch on Feb. 7, the Beavers had vengeance on their minds and were willing to do anything to win the rematch. The game was a fight, and it all came down to the final seconds of the game. 

Oregon State senior guard Kat Tudor tied the game at 62 with three seconds on the clock when she was able to convert a layup. With the Beavers having the next possession, the Beavers knew that it all came down to one final shot.

With just 0.4 seconds left in the game and with the score being tied, Oregon State junior guard Aleah Goodman passed the ball to senior guard Mikayla Pivec. Pivec rebounded the ball and drained the shot in the basket, giving the Beavers the win over the Sun Devils after losing 4 straight games to them. 

 

Men’s Basketball Seed 1: Lucas buzzer beaver versus Utah (March 2020) 

The Oregon State Men’s Basketball team split wins with the Utah Utes during the regular season, with the Utes winning against the Beavers on Jan. 2 by a score of 81-69, and the Beavers winning at home against the Utes on Feb.13 by a score of 70-51. 

Both teams had a chance at redemption, as the Beavers faced off against the Utes in the opening round of the PAC-12 Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Although the Utes led for the majority of the game, the Beavers knew what was at stake, and were not going to go down without a fight. The Beavers were able to bring the score close after a three-point basket made by freshman guard Jarod Lucas, bringing the score to 69-68 with just 50 seconds left in the game. 

Being down by a point, the Beavers needed to score to stay alive in the tournament. With just five seconds left in the game, OSU senior forward Tres Tinkle passed the ball back to Lucas, who then drained another three-point shot, giving the Beavers the 71-69 lead with just 1.8 seconds left in the game.

It was this shot that gave the Beavers the win over the Utes, redeemed Lucas for a missed buzzer beater earlier in the season, and would advance Oregon State in the PAC-12 tournament.