LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Senior Marie Gulich led the Beavers with 16 points, but the No. 16 Oregon State women's basketball team fell to USC 65-61 Sunday afternoon at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.
"USC is very athletics and veteran at the guard spots," said Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck. "You have to give them credit for making plays. We're going to learn lessons from this. Life on the road in the Pac-12 is tough, but we will learn from both games this weekend and we'll get better from it."
Oregon State led for the majority of the contest, before USC came back to take the lead in the closing minutes.
Gulich, who has scored in double-figures in every game this season, went 8-for-11 from the floor and tallied six rebounds and a block, despite missing most of the first half due to foul trouble.
Sophomore Mikayla Pivec finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Junior Katie McWilliams scored all nine of her points in the first half, while freshman Taya Corosdale finished with eight points.
As a team, the Beavers shot 47.1 percent from the floor, compared to 46.9 percent for the Trojans. Oregon State held a 36-20 advantage in rebounds.
USC jumped out to a four-point lead early on, but the Beavers responded by taking the lead mid-way through the opening period. Pivec converted a half-court attempt to give the Beavers a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Oregon State wasted little time extending its advantage in the second, going ahead by double-figures on a triple from McWilliams. The Beaver would go in front by as many as 15, before heading to the break up 40-28.
Pivec led the Beavers with 11 points in the opening 20 minutes, and OSU hit seven 3-pointers over the first two quarters.
The teams would trade baskets through the first part of the third, before Oregon State extended the advantage to 17. The Trojans surged late in the period to get back within four heading into the closing frame.
USC got within one with six minutes left to play, and would take the lead with less than two minutes to go. Oregon State had a couple chances to level the score in the closing seconds, but the Beavers were unable to convert, as the Trojans took the win by four.
The Beavers will return home next week, when they host Arizona State and Arizona on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
