Oregon State's Winning Streak Ends With 55-51 Loss to LMU
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A mismatch at the three point line and a fourth quarter cold streak doomed the Beavers Thursday night, as the Oregon State women picked up their first conference loss of the season after falling to LMU 55-51. The loss drops the Beavers to 13-6 overall, and 5-1 in the West Coast Conference.
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The Lions set the tone for the game early, with Carly Heidger, Jess Lawson and Andjela Matic combing for five threes in the first quarter, giving LMU an early lead. Jenna Villa did what she could to keep the Beavers in the gaming, scoring 10 of the 12 points Oregon State scored in the first, including two of three threes the team would hit Thursday night.
While LMU took a 19-12 lead after the first, the second quarter whipped back towards Oregon State. Tiara Bolden opened the quarter with a three, Oregon State's final one of the night, and Kennedie Shuler started to find some penetration in the key to get the Beavers some interior scoring. By the end of the first half, Oregon State had trimmed the deficit to just one point, 31-30.
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A layup from Lizzy Williamson opened the third, giving the Beavers their first lead of the night. LMU would eventually grab it back with an Andjela Matic three, but the teams traded the lead back and forth over the quarter. A pair of free throws from Kennedie Shuler gave Oregon State a one point, 45-44 lead headed into the fourth.
Unfortunately, Oregon State's scoring evaporated in the final period. Two layups from Tiara Bolden and one from Lara Alonso were all the Beavers could manage, and while Loyola Marymount didn't set a scorching pace, Carly Heidger and Maya Hernandez made sure they had enough for the win. Oregon State didn't score in the final five minutes of the game, handing the game to the Lions 55-51.
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Oregon State's top three scorers all broke double digits Thursday night. Jenna Villa led the team with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists. While her first quarter was impressive, LMU managed to get her out of the game for much of the remainder. Kennedie Shuler finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Tiara Bolden added 11 points, four rebounds and one assist.
Three point shooting was the biggest mismatch Thursday night. Oregon State was 3 of 12 from beyond the arc, with all three coming in the first half. Loyola Marymount was much more consistent, going eight of fifteen, with four different players hitting threes. The Beavers really needed another deep threat in Thursday's game, as only Villa was consistently dangerous.
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Oregon State will look to bounce back Saturday against the Pepperdine Waves in Malibu. The Waves have been solid this season, with an 11-7 overall record, but have struggled in the WCC, going 2-4 so far in conference play. Tip off is set for 2 PM on Saturday, January 17th.
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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.