Beavers Fall to Wiscon 62-58 in First Round of Women's Basketball Invitational

The Oregon State Women's season is over, as the Beavers fell to the Wisconsin Badgers 62-58 in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament. The Beavers fought hard, but in the end their big three couldn't get past a stout Badger defense. Oregon State's final record for the 2025-26 season is 23-11.

A Kennedie Shuler three gave the Beavers the first points of the game, but the rest of the first quarter favored the Badgers. Destiny Howell tied the game with a three, and then gave Wisconsin the lead with a layup. The Badger lead grew to 8 before a Lara Alonso layup broke the Oregon State scoring drought, and a Nene Sow tip in got the deficit down to five, 15-10, before the end of the first.

Oregon State's offensive problems continued in early in the second quarter, but some big defensive plays, including steals by Kennedie Shuler and Tiara Bolden kept them in the game. Destiny Howell got the Wisconsin lead as high as twelve, but some late scoring from Bolden and Jenna Villa got the margin down to nine, 31-22, at the half.

The Beavers came out of the locker room hot, with a Tiara Bolden three and a Kennedie Shuler layup cutting the Wisconsin lead in half. After a Gift Uchenna layup, a stepback jumper from Bolden and an Ally Schimel three got the Beavers within one. After Bolden and Wisconsin's Ronnie Porter traded threes, a Tiara Bolden layup gave Oregon State their first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

They weren't able to hold it long, as Destiny Howell sparked a late Badger run that sent them into the final quarter up six, 49-43. Over the first half of the fourth quarter they stretched that lead to 10, before Tiara Bolden sparked a Beaver rally. A Bolden three got the Beavers within one, but that was as close as they'd get, as Wisconsin regained control with a Kyrah Daniels three and a Laci Steele jumper. The Badger defense locked down the Beavers, with a Jenna Villa jumper the only points Oregon State would get in the final minutes as they fell, 62-58.

Bolden was the most dynamic Beaver on the court, leading the team with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and nearly getting them the lead back late in the fourth. Jenna Villa finished the night with 11 points, 3 rebounds and an assist, while Kennedie Shuler added 9 points, 6 assists and 1 rebound.

That's one more season in the books for the Oregon State women, and now offseason changes and the new Pac-12 wait over the horizon. We'll have to wait and see what's next for the Beavers.