The orange and black are back on track; in front of a packed-out Gill Coliseum on Nov. 12, the Oregon State women’s basketball team impressed the home crowd with an 80-52 win.
The Beavers 2024 season began with a loss on the road at Colorado State 59-65. Senior Kelsey Rees stepped up and led the squad after their first game in points, rebounds and blocks.
OSU fans welcomed the team back to Corvallis as they faced off against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks, and they commemorated their banner drop for the team’s recent Elite Eight appearance.
Tonight’s matchup showed great strides overall for the rest of the team, with four players scoring at least six points in the first two quarters. Most notably, center Sela Heide had 10 points out of the gate in nearly nine minutes of playtime.
Beavers’ defense was on full display with 10 steals in the first half, leading to several momentum shifts allowing the Beavers to take advantage. This includes running off 12 straight points before the Nighthawks could finally answer. This gave way to OSU’s early lead, 33-29, at the half.
“We were so disruptive defensively and shot very well,” said head coach Scott Rueck, when asked about the defensive performance on the night. “It’s fun to teach this group, it’s a fun group, and we have a lot to learn, but when things do sink up like tonight, it’s awesome.”
To start the second half, the Beavers came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 18 straight unanswered points to begin the third quarter, further digging Northwest’s grave.
Outscoring them 47-24 in the second half to bring out the final score of 80-52. Heide would continue to be on fire, finishing her night with 26 points and 11 rebounds, leading the team.
OSU dominated by scoring 52 points in the paint. Once again, the Beavers’ defense showed their strengths, holding the Nighthawks to 23 points and recording seven more steals in the second half, with 27 points off 17 turnovers.
“My confidence comes from practice beforehand, but when we play like this, it means so much [to me], and is great for my confidence and the way I play,” stated Sela Heide when asked about where she gains her confidence from after her performance.
OSU rebounded well following their first loss to start the year and showed several exciting and improved aspects for their fans to look forward to this season.
The Beavers return home to Gill on Tuesday, Dec. 3, to play host to the Grambling State University Tigers.
