1/21/2023 basketball Edit

Oregon State WBB: Beavers Beat No. 23 Oregon 68-65

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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CORVALLIS, Ore. – When the time came for a key block, 5-foot-6 guard Noelle Mannen delivered with the second of her career to seal Oregon State's 68-65 win over Oregon in a Pac-12 After Dark special.

The native of North Plains, Oregon split the elevator screen and swatted a three-pointer – Oregon's first miss from three in five attempts – and a scramble for the ball yielded no points for the visitors to give Oregon State the victory.

Mannen's key block was one of four for the Beavers, who held the Ducks to just 34.3 percent from the floor to earn the win. Jelena Mitrovic led the team with two in a standout game that also included nine points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

"It was amazing," Mitrovic said. "We all love playing against Oregon, especially in an environment like this. The gym was full and it was loud. The fans showed up and gave us the support we needed, and it helped us at the end of the game when they hit some tough threes. They gave us the energy and momentum to keep going."

Mitrovic got going early in the contest, dishing two assists to Shalexxus Aaron for the Beavers' first four points. The redshirt sophomore also scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in the opening quarter. Her baskets came in a 12-3 run as the Beavs jumped out to a 17-10 lead after the first.

"Jelena did amazing tonight. I'm so proud of her," Talia von Oelhoffen said. "We needed a big game from her and she came out and did her thing."

Oregon made its run back in the game in the second quarter. The Ducks outscored the Beavs 7-0 late in the period and appeared to be ready to send the game to the break knotted at 27.

Timea Gardiner denied that opportunity with three seconds left. The freshman drained a top-of-the-key three on a pass from von Oelhoffen to send the Beavs to halftime with a 30-27 advantage. Gardiner had her second double-figure game in three collegiate contests with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

After a back-and-forth third quarter, the Beavers appeared to be pulling away at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. Leading 41-38, OSU opened up a 49-40 advantage by the end of the quarter with an 8-2 run. Four players hit shots in the run, all of them around the basket. The Beavs closed the game with a 30-point edge in points in the paint.

Von Oelhoffen took over to open the fourth quarter. The sophomore expanded the lead to 55-42 with two three-pointers, forcing an Oregon timeout. Her inspired performance included 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists, providing exactly what the Beavs needed at different points in the contest.

The two teams traded baskets for much of the fourth after von Oelhoffen's triples before the Ducks made it a game late. Oregon couldn't miss from deep, making four straight threes to pull within two with 0:39.

Leading by just a pair, Bendu Yeaney made key plays down the stretch to ensure Oregon State fended off the comeback. First, the senior drove to the rim for a pair before beating the Oregon press and slicing a pass through the remaining defenders for a near-open layup from Gardiner. Then, Jelena Mitrovic made one crucial free throw to make it a three-point game, setting the stage for Mannen's game-sealing block.

Yeaney finished with eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. She was one of four Beavers with four or more assists and one of five with at least eight points. Raegan Beers rounded out the group of five – von Oelhoffen, Gardiner, Mitrovic, Yeaney and Beers – with nine points and four rebounds.

Oregon State will look to carry its momentum down to the Bay Area next week for games against Stanford on Friday and California on Sunday.

OSU Athletics