The Oregon State women’s basketball team defeated the Saint Mary’s Gaels 80-45 on Saturday at Gill Coliseum.
The Beavers entered the West Coast Conference matchup with a 10-13 overall record while sporting a 6-6 mark in conference play. The Gaels were 11-9 overall and 7-4 in the WCC.
In a contest lopsided from start to finish, senior forward Kelsey Rees led OSU with 19 points on 6-10 shooting from the field while also contributing eight rebounds and two assists.
Amy Kurkowski was the leading scorer for the Gaels with eight points on 3-4 shooting from the field.
The Beavers held the lead the entire game, which opened with Tiara Bolden sinking a three-point off of an assist from Kennedie Shuler. The Gaels did not score until 2:24, which elapsed during the game when Kurkoski made a layup.
By that point, OSU had established a 7-0 lead.
In a game that saw the Beavers out rebound the Gaels 36-27, OSU also collected 11 steals while Saint Mary’s managed only one.
The Beavers’ shooting from inside the three-point line propelled them to victory. OSU made 24-39 field goal attempts from inside the arc, or 61.54%. Saint Mary’s made 13-38, or 34.21%.
At the end of the first quarter, OSU led 19-9. The second quarter was almost identical, with the Beavers outscoring the Gaels 16-6, good for a 25-15 halftime lead.
At the end of the intermission, during which a student won diamond stud earrings by making a free throw, three-point shot, and half-court shot, the Beavers continued to outplay the Gaels.
While the Gaels were more competitive in the third quarter, they were still outscored 23-19. Shuler was the Beavers’ leading scorer in the third quarter with eight points, while senior forward Sela Heide added six points.
The fourth quarter saw the Beavers outscore the Gaels 22-11, with freshman guard Ally Schimel scoring seven of the Beavers’ points and Rees scoring six.
Heide scored 14 points on 7-7 shooting for the game, along with five rebounds and a block. Shuler scored 14 points on 6-7 shooting, along with three rebounds, eight assists, and six steals.
For the Gaels, no players scored in the double digits, collected more than four rebounds, or had more than three assists. The Beavers notched 20 assists in the game to the Gaels’ one.
The Beavers’ record improved to 11-13 overall and 7-6 in the WCC. They will next play the Loyola Marymount Lions on Thursday, Feb. 6, at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles.
