A terrific finish provided Oregon State with a positive outcome in the Beavers’ West Coast Conference women’s basketball opener Sunday.
Jenna Villa and Kennedie Shuler combined for 43 points to lead OSU to a 74-65 road win at San Francisco.
The Beavers (9-5, 1-0) outscored USF 15-6 during the final four minutes to pull away in a game that featured 10 ties and seven lead changes.
Villa scored 24 points and Shuler 19, as each player hit 8 of 16 shots against the Dons.
Aina Cargol scored 15 points to lead San Francisco (7-5, 0-1), which had four players in double figures.
OSU’s Nene Sow was the only player in the game with double digit rebounds with 10. Sow also had three of the Beavers’ six blocked shots.
Oregon State built a 39-29 halftime advantage, but San Francisco cut the lead to a single point halfway through the third quarter.
OSU’s Ally Schimel answered with back-to-back threes to put the Beavers up 50-43 with 4:05 left in the third.
Both teams struggled to score in the closing minutes of the third quarter, and Oregon State took a 51-47 lead to the fourth.
San Francisco fought to stay in the game. Meghan Mcintyre made two straight layups, and the Dons took a 54-52 lead with 7:12 left.
Villa and Shuler took over with the game tied 59-59. The Beavers’ junior duo combined to score the next six points, all from the free throw-line, to give OSU a 65-59 lead.
With 1:59 left on the clock, Villa hit Shuler on a back-cut for a reverse layup that made the score 67-63. Then Shuler drove into the lane and banked in a layup while falling down for a 69-63 Beavers lead with 1:14 to go.
Tiara Bolden iced the win for Oregon State by scoring five of her eight points, all from the free-throw line, during the final minute.
Oregon State shot 47% to San Francisco’s 39% and out rebounded the Dons 38-30.
The Beavers continue conference play at 5 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mary’s at Moraga, Calif.
