With the lights dimmed and the arena full of cardboard cutouts, Oregon seniors Erin Boley and Lydia Giomi watched their senior tribute videos on the scorers table after the last home game of their career. The two laughed, embraced and sat alongside their teammates while holding a bouquet of flowers for the last time on the Matthew Knight Arena floor.

Giomi and Boley have been part of an Elite Eight NCAA tournament run, a program-first Final Four appearance, three straight Pac-12 Tournament titles and a pair conference titles.

“To Erin: It’s like a marriage since we spend every minute together. I wouldn’t want to be married to anyone else,” Giomi said. 

The two seniors ended their historic careers against none other than interstate rivals Oregon State with the Duck’s final conference and home game of the season. 

Oregon’s season-finale, however, was spoiled by their rival Beavers at home, 88-77. 

“[Oregon State] had a lot to play for tonight,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “They were playing for their NCAA lives. We embarrassed them at their place and they knew they were playing for a five-seed in this upcoming tournament. They had a lot to play for and it definitely showed.” 

Oregon was without point guard Te-Hina Paopao, who was in a walking boot on her right foot on the sidelines. The Duck’s felt her absence with Paopao’s ability to control the offensive tempo with the ball. Without her spearheading at the point, Oregon relied on its frontcourt to pound it inside the paint against the Beavers’ zone defense. 

“She’s one of our best players, so we miss her all over the place,” Graves said. “Defensively, she’s solid. As great as a player that Te-Hina is, injuries in the short-term don’t hurt you.”

Sedona Prince provided a dominant stretch of offense in the opening quarter with a quick ten points. Her offensive spark kept Oregon in the game in the first half. Oregon State had no answer for her 18 points on 8-11 shooting. Besides Prince, the Ducks struggled to create any other offensive rhythm going into the second half. Prince finished with a season-high 22 points, 18 of them coming from the first half. 

Early in the fourth, Prince hit an up-and-under layup, but Oregon State’s Ellie Mack immediately responded with a three pointer, earning a foul and hitting a free throw for a four-point play that ballooned the Beavers’ lead to 14.

The Ducks could not muster a big enough run in the final quarter to slim the deficit that was as large as 17 points at one point. Oregon had a small 7-0 run with just under five minutes left in the game, but it wasn’t a surge to get into striking range. 

Besides Prince’s game-high 22 points to go along with five rebounds, Oregon’s offensive stat line consisted primarily of 13 points and 10 rebounds from Nyara Sabally and 16 points apiece from Boley and Taylor Mikesell. 

When the buzzer sounded, the Beavers jumped up in cheers and high-fives while Oregon walked back to its bench in defeat. 

The Ducks will have to find their offensive flow before post-season play begins next week with the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The past three tournament titles have been awarded to Oregon and look to defend their 3-peat championships. 

Entering the Pac-12 tournament, the Ducks have dropped four of their last five games. 

“We’re in the field, I’m not worried about that,” Graves said. “But we want to get in the field with a little momentum. People forget a few years ago when we made our first run here, we lost the two games at home going into that tournament. I’m hoping we still have a magical run left in us.”

Follow Carly on Twitter @carlyebisuya.