The Oregon Ducks narrowly escaped their in-state rivals on Friday night in Corvallis, 74-66, getting a much needed conference win for their 2022 campaign.
The routine studs for the Ducks like Endyia Rogers and Te-Hina PaoPao weren’t able to find the bottom of the net like usual in this contest, as Rogers shot just 3-11 with 9 points.
Paopao struggled shooting the ball throughout the first half, but began finding points in multiple ways as she banked in a three to beat the halftime buzzer. She ended the game with 22 points thanks to a perfect performance from the free throw line (6-of-6) while shooting 7-21 from the field.
Unforced turnovers is what made it difficult for the Beavers to get back into the game and it was clear after just one quarter of play that this game wasn’t going to be an offensive clinic. Oregon State turned the ball over 15 times at the end of the game, which led to 18 points for the Ducks.
Nyara Sabally was her usual self on Friday night as she added another double-double performance to her season. She ended the battle with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Beavers, Ellie Mack was their go-to offensive threat as she poured in 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
“It’s tough to keep them down,” head coach Kelly Graves said postgame. “Once they saw the ball go in, they became so aggressive.”
Even though Oregon shot a measly 30% from the field in the first half, a serving of offensive rebounds and turnovers from the Beavers allowed them to go into the break up by five.
Talia Von Oelhoffen, a 5-foot-11 freshman, nabbed 12 rebounds and nearly notched a triple double. She finished with 12 points and nine assists.
One huge difference maker in the matchup was the free throw disparity between the two teams. While the Ducks made 12-of-14 shots from the stripe, Oregon State hadn’t even attempted one until the end of the third quarter.
Once they shot one free throw, it seemed like they came in bunches for the Beavers as they led the Ducks 56-55 by the end of the third quarter while going on a 12-2 run, shooting 7-of-7 from the line.
But Oregon State’s comeback ultimately came too late and the Ducks were able to snag their second win in a row.
The Ducks-Beavers rematch is scheduled for 1 p.m. PST this Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.
