3 Takeaways From Oregon State's Win Over Nebraska
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With the Oregon State women's basketball team advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019, BeaversEdge gives five important takeaways from the win over Nebraska...
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1. Beavers start hot, falter offensively, regain control
After a slow start against Eastern Washington on Friday, the Beavers came out hot offensively in the first quarter to take a 12-4 lead at the first media timeout.
However, as the second quarter winded down, the Beavers could not hit their shots, and the Huskers took advantage of the scoring drought, plus a couple of turnovers from the Beavers to pull within seven at the break.
The scoreless trend continued with two minutes remaining in the third quarter until Raegan Beers gave the Beavers two points on a layup. Oregon State rode that momentum in the fourth quarter, knocking down three straight three-pointers in a row and putting their foot on the gas to close out a win over a formidable opponent at home.
Talia Von Oelhoffen and Timea Gardiner led the Beavers in scoring, with both of them providing critical baskets in the victory over the Huskers. Von Oelhoffen had 19 points and five three-pointers, while Gardiner had 17 points and three three-pointers.
The duo was not the only one in double figures for the Beavers. Beers had 10 points before she sat the rest of the fourth quarter after picking up her fourth foul and did not see any additional game time.
The Huskers clawed their way back in the fourth quarter without Beers in the game, but the Beavers' experience without Beers playing later in the season paid off, and they could close out the game after a shaky second and third quarter.
Ultimately, the time that Beers missed proved to be an essential experience to draw upon for the NCAA Tournament, especially when they were in a shooting slump for a long stretch of the game against an excellent three-point shooting team.
2. Defense shines against the Huskers
Nebraska, which all season was a prolific three-point shooting team, could not find its rhythm from beyond the arc all the game. They were 4 of 20 from three, with three of their final four makes coming in the final three minutes.
The goal for the Beavers headed into Sunday’s matchup against the Huskers was to crowd the three-point line and execute their game plan to limit Nebraska offensively. The defense for the Beavers helped secure the victory over the Huskers, limiting the Huskers to 21-67 shooting from the floor along with ten blocks.
The season-high 10 blocks prevented the Huskers from establishing a presence in the post even as Beers exited the game due to foul trouble, as Gardiner had four blocks. Throughout the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, the Beavers have allowed just 102 points and are playing some of their best defense all season.
As the saying goes, defense wins championships and games in the post-season, which was the case for Oregon State. The defense helped secure a victory over the Huskers despite the cold stretch of offense for Oregon State in the second and third quarters.
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