Jenna Villa Career High Gives Oregon State a Big Win Over Pacific
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Jenna Villa was the star of the show in Friday night's game against Pacific, putting up a career high 32 points as the Beavers demolished the Tigers 81-61. The win puts the Beavers record at 11-5 for the season, and 3-0 in West Coast Conference play.
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Oregon State's shooting started hot, with Tiara Bolden and Ally Schimel hitting threes to open the game. Pacific's defense struggled to corral the Beavers, and a Jenna Villa three put Oregon State up 11 with just over a minute left in the first quarter. Some late action from the Tigers got that down to seven as the quarter wound down, but a buzzer beating jump shot from Villa put Oregon State up by nine, 23-14, as the quarter ended.
The Beavers stayed in control in the second. Jenna Villa opened the quarter with a three plus one, starting off a nine point quarter for her. Keira Lindemans and Katelyn Field also added threes for Oregon State, while Cloe Vecina and Lizzy Williamson found success driving to the rim. The first half ended with another Jenna Villa three giving the Beavers a 22-point, 46-24 lead.
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Five quick points from Daria Nestorov and Nyah Lowery got the Beaver lead under 20 early in the second half, but Oregon State responded with a Lizzy Williamson layup and an Ally Schimel three. The Beavers shooting slowed in the third quarter, but Oregon State's defense kept the Tigers in check, as the team left the third still up by 22, 56-34.
The fourth quarter was all Beavers. A layup and a free throw from Jenna Villa halfway through the period gave her a 30 points, a career high. Scott Rueck then brought the bench out to give the starters a break, but a Pacific run got the Beaver lead down to 20 and brought the big names back to the court. That shut down the Pacific rally, with the Beavers holding on for a 20 point, 81-61 win.
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Villa's 32 points led the way for the Beavers. She also added seven rebounds and an assist. No other Beaver broke double digits, but a few got close, with nine points from Nene Sow, eight from Ally Schimel and 7 from Tiara Bolden. After Villa it was a total team effort from Oregon State.
The Beavers have a bit of break now. They won't be back in action until next Thursday, January 8th, when they'll hit the road for a trip to Pullman to face the Cougars.
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Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for On SI, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.