Trojans Top Beavers in Return to Pac-12 Play

Friday, December 30

Corvallis, OR

6:00 PM

Oregon State

8-5,0-2Pac-12

USC

11-2,1-1Pac-12

Southern California

Oregon St.

Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics

December 30, 2022 | Women's Basketball

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By: Athletic Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State battled from the tip to final whistle but wasn't able to overcome 24 turnovers in a 69-58 loss to USC on Friday night.

Raegan Beers and Shalexxus Aaron kept Oregon State in the game with 19 and 15 points respectively. Beers maintained her national lead among freshman with her seventh double-double, grabbing 14 rebounds.

The Beavers endured a wobbly start to the game thanks to the play of Jelena Mitrovic. The big Serbian contributed all four of OSU's early points to keep the Beavs in the game despite five turnovers in the first five minutes.

Oregon State got to the free throw line to close the small gap in the first quarter. Noelle Mannen and Bendu Yeaney both made free throws while Beers contributed a jumper to make it 11-10 at the close of the first ten minutes.

OSU needed and made another run early in the second quarter with an 8-2 spurt that pulled it within 20-18. Aaron hit the key shot, a three-pointer coming off a screen that got the Gill Coliseum crowd back into the game. The redshirt junior went on a personal 4-0 spurt later in the period to ensure Oregon State remained within five at halftime.

USC expanded its lead in the third quarter, going up as much as 14 with an 11-0 run. The Women of Troy forced seven straight misses by the Beavs while making 5-of-7 shots on the other side to take the big lead.

Beers got Oregon State back into the game. The freshman scored 12 straight points for the Beavers in the final minutes of the third quarter and first minutes of the fourth. She accrued three straight three-point plays in that time to pull OSU back within eight.

The Beavs got within five later in the period after a 6-0 spurt that saw baskets from Mannen and Mitrovic along with two free throws from Aaron. USC responded with an 8-2 run with all eight points coming from Rayah Marshall as a part of a career-high 33 points. From there, the Trojans countered Beaver buckets with free throws to hold off OSU.

Up next, the Beavs take on No. 10 UCLA at 12 p.m. on Sunday in Gill Coliseum.