@OregonStateWBB's Pac-12 Tourney Journey Starts Thursday
March 5, 2013
Pac-12 Networks | Audio (Fee) | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket (PDF)
The Game: Oregon State (10-20, 4-14 Pac-12) begins its 'second season' when the Beavers open the Pac-12 Tournament against USC (10-19, 7-11) at KeyArena in Seattle on Thursday at noon.
Tracking the Beavs: The game will air live on Pac-12 Networks with Anne Marie Anderson providing play-by-play, Tammy Blackburn giving color and Krista Blunk handling sideline analysis. It will also be broadcast on KEJO 1240AM with Ron Callan at the mic. Live stats are also available via Pac-12.com and fans can follow @OregonStateWBB on Twitter for all game day information, including score updates, photos and observations.
Tickets: Tickets for the game are available by visiting Pac-12.com/tickets.
The Rundown: The Beavers are 5-11 all-time in Pac-12 Tournament games with one of those wins coming against USC in 2002 ... Oregon State has played eight games against ranked opponents this season, a new school record ... Eight of Oregon State's conference losses have been by an average of 3.0 points ... Beaver freshmen are responsible for 46.8 percent of the team's scoring, the third highest ratio in program history ... Jamie Weisner (12.6 ppg) and Deven Hunter (6.1 rpg) are aiming to produce only the third season in program history with freshmen leading in points and rebounds ... Weisner leads the conference with a .382 three-point field goal percentage and is averaging 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in Pac-12 games ... Weisner is also only the fifth Beaver freshman, and first in 20 years, to reach totals of 350 points and 150 rebounds in a season and is one of only three freshmen in the top-20 in the Pac-12 in scoring and rebounding ... Deven Hunter (182) and Weisner (180) are just the second and third Oregon State freshmen with more than 150 boards in a season in the last 20 years ... OSU is ninth in the nation in blocks, averaging 5.6 a game, and is the only team in the country that has seven different players with at least 10 ... Patricia Bright is third in OSU history with 165 career blocks ... The Beavers' .347 field goal percentage defense in third in the Pac-12, 18th in the country and would be a new school record ... Alyssa Martin is third all-time at OSU with 125 career three-point makes and Ali Gibson is tied for eighth with 93.
Pac-12 Tournament Notes:
• Oregon State is the No. 10 seed and USC is the No. 7 seed in this year's opening round matchup.
• The Beavers are 5-11 in conference tournament games and USC is 8-11.
• OSU's last Pac-12 Tournament win came against Washington on March 11, 2010, 52-42, when the Beavers were also the No. 10 seed. Oregon State is 1-2 all-time as the tournament's 10th-seeded team, which it will be for the third time.
• Oregon State and USC have met once before in the conference tournament, in its first year on March 2, 2002, when the fifth-seeded Beavers rode 29 points from all-American Felicia Ragland to a 69-68 win over the fourth-seeded Trojans. That year, Ragland became OSU's only ever all-tournament performer.
• The No. 10 seed is 3-7 against the No. 7 seed all-time in conference tournament games.
• The No. 10 seed is 3-11 all-time in conference tournament games, with all three wins coming in the last four years.
Versus USC: Oregon State is 19-38 all-time against USC. The Trojans won the teams' only meeting this season on Jan. 4, 56-55, when Alexya Vaioletama made a baseline bucket as time expired. The Beavers defeated the Trojans in overtime, 65-61, last Jan. 21 in Los Angeles.
Oh So Close: Oregon State's overtime loss to #19 Colorado on Sunday marked its eighth by five points or less in conference. The Beavers fell to USC on a last-second bucket on Jan. 4, lost by four to then #16 UCLA on Jan. 6 and fell in overtime on the road at Washington (81-77) and Washington State (76-73) on Jan. 25 and 27. OSU dropped another two-point heartbreaker to the Cougars on Feb. 15, 51-49, lost by five to Washington on Feb. 18, 49-44, and nearly upset #6 California in Berkeley on Feb. 24 (L, 58-56), before pushing the Buffaloes to overtime. Those eight losses, more than half of OSU's total in Pac-12 play, have been by an average of 3.0 points.
The Gauntlet: Oregon State has played eight games this season against nationally-ranked opponents, a new school record. The Beavers previously played seven teams in the polls during the 1981-82, 1984-85, 1989-90 and 1993-94 campaigns.
Young Guns: The Beavers' much-heralded freshman class, ranked as high as 17th in the nation coming into the season, has made an immediate impact on the court. The group - Jamie Weisner, Samantha Siegner, Ruth Hamblin, Deven Hunter, Khadidja Toure - has played 41.9 percent of the team's minutes and is responsible for 46.8 percent of its scoring (805-of-1,719 points).
Pac-12 Freshmen Scoring (% of Team Total - Regular Season)
1. Oregon State -- 46.8%
2. Washington State -- 44.7%
3. Oregon -- 35.4%
4. Colorado -- 29.4%
5. Arizona State -- 28.1%
More Youth: One of the youngest teams in Oregon State history, this year's Beaver squad is getting some of the most production its ever had out of one of its most inexperienced groups. In the 36+ seasons of OSU women's basketball, only twice have freshmen been responsible for more of the team's offense. In 1992-93, four standout freshmen including Tanja Kostic, Anette Mollerstrom and A.J. Dionne accounted for 53.4 percent of Oregon State's scoring (998-of-1,869 points). In the second year of the program in 1977-78, when half of the 14 players on the roster were freshmen, they scored 736 of the Beavers' 1,157 points (63.6 percent). Statistics for the school's first season in 1976-77 are not available.
Weisner & Hunter: Freshmen Jamie Weisner (12.6 ppg) and Deven Hunter (6.1 rpg) are pacing the Beavers in points and rebounds, respectively. If the season ended with both leading OSU in those categories, it would only be the third time in the history of the program freshmen had done so. Tanja Kostic topped OSU with 18.2 ppg and 8.2 rpg in 1992-93 and Betty Collings (11.6 ppg) and Kathy Vanderstoel (10.3 rpg) split the honors in 1977-78. Hunter would be the seventh freshman to lead her team in rebounding and first since 2006-07. Weisner would be only the fourth to do so in points, joining Alyssa Martin (2010-11), Kostic (1992-93) and Collings (1977-78). Currently, Weisner is just one tenth of a rebound away from leading her team in that category as well.
Hunter & Weisner On The Boards: Deven Hunter has 182 rebounds this season, the eighth-highest total for a freshman in OSU history, while Jamie Weisner's 180 rebounds are the ninth most. Before this year, just eight Beaver freshmen had more than 150 in a season and only one in the last 20 years. Judie Lomax grabbed 215 boards in 2006-07. Hunter's 6.1 rebounds per game are 17th in the Pac-12 and Weisner's 6.0 are 19th.
Oregon State Freshman Leaders -- Rebounding
1. Brenda Arbuckle (1983-84) -- 298
2. Kari Parriott (1987-88) -- 232
3. Natalia Mattick (1990-91) -- 224
4. Judie Lomax (2006-07) -- 216
5. Tanja Kostic (1992-93) -- 213
6. Kathy Vanderstoel (1977-78) -- 206
7. Sonjhia Fleming (1989-90) -- 186
8. Deven Hunter (2012-13) -- 182
9. Jamie Weisner (2012-13) -- 180
10. Debbie Dalluge (1984-85) -- 175
Fab Frosh: Freshman Jamie Weisner has had a fantastic start to her Pac-12 career, averaging 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in league games. Her stellar conference start was highlighted by a Jan. 4 game against USC in which she scored 27 points on 11-for-21 shooting. The offensive output was OSU's best in three years and the best ever for a Beaver freshman in their first Pac-12 game. Talisa Rhea was the last player to tally more when she scored 30 against Oregon on Jan. 9, 2010. No Oregon State freshman has had a higher scoring effort in nearly two decades since Anette Mollerstrom poured in 28 points against Arizona State on Feb. 27, 1993. All five of Weisner's 20+ point efforts have come in conference.
Pac-12 All-Freshman Teams: Jamie Weisner was selected a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team by both the conference's coaches and its media. She was also named All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention by the league's coaches.
Seeing Double: Jamie Weisner leads the team with four double-doubles and 20 games in double-figures scoring, including five games of more than 20 points. Along with Cal's Brittany Boyd and Colorado's Chucky Jeffery, Weisner is the only other pure guard in the conference to have at least four double-doubles this season. Her 13 rebounds against #19 Colorado on Sunday were a season-high for an Oregon State player.
More Weisner: Jamie Weisner, averaging 12.6 points (379 total) and 6.0 rebounds (180 total) through 30 games, is just the fifth freshman in OSU history, and first since Tanja Kostic (473 points; 213 rebounds) in 1992-93, to amass totals of 350 points and 150 rebounds in a season. Natalia Mattick (503 points; 224 rebounds) in 1990-91, Kari Parriott in 1987-88 (402 points; 232 rebounds) and Brenda Arbuckle (407 points; 298 rebounds) in 1983-84 are the only other Beaver freshmen to hit those point and rebound numbers. Kostic and Parriott were named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year for their efforts, Mattick was beat out for the award by Lisa Leslie and Arbuckle wasn't eligible because Pac-10 women's basketball didn't start until 1986-87.
Oregon State Freshman Leaders -- Points
1. Natalia Mattick (1990-91) -- 503
2. Tanja Kostic (1992-93) -- 473
3. Brenda Arbuckle (1983-84) -- 407
4. Kari Parriott (1987-88) -- 402
5. Ali Gibson (2011-12) -- 387
6. Anette Mollerstrom (1992-93) -- 380
9. Jamie Weisner (2012-13) -- 379
7. Alyssa Martin (2010-11) -- 372
8. Chelle Flamoe (1985-86) -- 368
And Still More Weisner: Jamie Weisner, along with Washington's Talia Walton and Oregon's Jillian Alleyne, are the only freshmen in the top 20 in both scoring and rebounding in the Pac-12. Weisner's 12.6 points per game are 14th and her 6.0 rebounds are 19th. With 50 assists and 137 field goals, Weisner has played a part in 28.8 percent of the team's 650 buckets.
Weisner From Deep: Jamie Weisner is also the most potent threat in the Pac-12 from deep. Her .382 three-point percentage (47-for-123) leads the Pac-12. Oregon State's freshman record is Talisa Rhea's .370 clip (67-of-181) in 2007-08. She is also fourth all-time among OSU freshmen in single-season three-point field goals.
Oregon State Freshman Leaders -- Three-Point Field Goals
1. Talisa Rhea (2007-08) -- 67
2. Alyssa Martin (2010-11) -- 60
3. Ali Gibson (2011-12) -- 56
4. Jamie Weisner (2012-13) -- 47
Freebies: In addition to everything else, Jamie Weisner converts her free throws at an 80.6 percent clip (58-for-72). In league games that ratio improves to 84.8 percent (39-for-46), good for third place in the conference.
Schwegler Stepping Up: In the Beavers' last three games, senior Mollee Schwegler has given the team a level of production at the point that has been lacking this season after the injury to Sage Indendi. Schwegler has averaged 11 points and nearly four assists in those games while shooting 58.3 percent from behind the arc.
A Look At The Long Ball: Alyssa Martin has 125 three-point makes in her career, third all-time at OSU, while Ali Gibson's 93 career three-point baskets ties her for eighth.
Oregon State Career Leaders -- Three-Point Field Goals
1. Felicia Ragland (1999-02) -- 178
2. Talisa Rhea (2008-10) -- 175
3. Alyssa Martin (2011-pres.) -- 125
4. Sage Indendi (2011-12) -- 121
5. Anette Mollerstrom (1993-96) -- 113
6. Leilani Estavan (2001-04) -- 105
7. A.J. Dionne (1993-96) -- 96
8. Hollye Chapman (2001-04) -- 93
8. Ali Gibson (2012-pres.) -- 93
9. Ashley Allen (2007-08) -- 90
Bright Spot: In just 61 career games at Oregon State, senior center Patricia Bright has established herself as one of the premier shot blockers in the country. She had the ninth game of her career with six or more blocks against #19 Colorado on March 3, has 50 this season and 165 at OSU, good for third place in school history. Her 1.8 blocks/game average is second in the league. Currently, Bright needs nine more blocks to move onto the Pac-12's career top-10 list. Every person in that group played at least three seasons at their school, while "P" has done her work in just two. She blocked a school-record 115 shots last season to finish sixth in the nation. That total is the second highest in Pac-12 history.
Oregon State Career Leaders -- Blocked Shots
1. Brina Chaney (2001-04) -- 208
2. Sissel Pierce (1997-00) -- 176
3. Patricia Bright (2012-pres.) -- 165
No Chance: OSU, which paces the league again this year with 168, has led the Pac-12 in blocked shots the past two seasons and finished in the top 30 nationally both years. In 2011-12 the Beavers swatted a total of 183 shots after rejecting 143 the year before. Oregon State's 5.6 blocks per game average is ninth in the nation and opponents have taken 1,833 shots, meaning one in every 11 field goal attempts gets blocked by a Beaver. Oregon State has already had four games this year with 10 or more blocks (Cal Poly, Fullerton, UCLA & Oregon), something it did a team-record five times a season ago.
Sharing The Swat: OSU is the only team in the nation that can boast seven different players with at least 10 blocks (Patricia Bright - 50; Ruth Hamblin - 32; Alyssa Martin - 21; Samantha Siegner - 20; Deven Hunter - 13; ShaKiana Edwards-Teasley - 11; Ali Gibson - 11). Arkansas-Little Rock and La Salle are the only schools featuring six players in double digits in rejections.
Drastic Defense: OSU is second in the league in field goal percentage defense (.347) and 18th the nation. Before playing Texas Tech on Dec. 21, OSU had not allowed its last 15 opponents to shoot over 40 percent, the longest such streak in team history. Fullerton's percentage from the field on Dec. 13 (19.1) was the lowest a Beaver defense has forced since it held WSU to only 17.4 percent (12-for-69) on Dec. 28, 2001. Since 2006-07, all but one of Scott Rueck's squads has finished in the top 25 in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
Field Goal Percentage Defense Under Rueck
2012-13 -- Oregon State -- 18th/nation (.347)
2011-12 -- Oregon State -- 18th/nation (.350)
2010-11 -- Oregon State -- 119th/nation (.385)
2009-10 -- George Fox -- 7th/nation (.322)
2008-09 -- George Fox -- 8th/nation (.327)
2007-08 -- George Fox -- 25th/nation (.340)
2006-07 -- George Fox -- 18th/nation (.337)
Drastic Defense II: A great defensive coach, Scott Rueck's 2012-13 Beavers might be one of the school's best ever at that end of the floor. Their .347 field goal percentage defense would be a new OSU record, besting last year's .350, and this year's squad is looking to be just the sixth in program history to hold opponents below 60 points per game, currently allowing exactly 60.0.
Controlling The Glass: Oregon State is averaging 41.3 boards per game. No OSU team has averaged more than 40.0 total rebounds since the 1996-97 season (41.1). The Beavers' 61 rebounds against Sac State were their most since they grabbed 61 against WSU on Dec. 28, 2001.
Building For The Future: On Nov. 15, Scott Rueck and his staff announced the signing of three prep standouts to National Letters of Intent. Gabriella Hanson (Fullerton, Calif./Troy), Kolbie Orum (Maple Ridge, British Columbia/Maple Ridge) and Sydney Wiese (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle), collectively ranked in the top 10 percent in the country according to All Star Girls Report, will join the Beavers in 2013-14. Wiese is the 80th ranked prospect in the nation according to ESPN HoopGurlz and is the third top-100 commit of the past two years to choose Oregon State. Hanson (Sweden) and Orum (Canada) have both suited up multiple times for their countries at FIBA tournaments across the globe.
Support Oregon State University Athletics by making your tax deductible donation to Our Beaver Nation. For more information follow this link or call 541-737-2370. Former Student-Athletes are invited to join the Varsity O Facebook Page for upcoming Alumni events.
Follow Oregon State Athletics On YouTube.
