Oregon State Women Fall Short Against Gonzaga in WCC Tournament Finals, Lose 76-66
Gonzaga and Oregon State battled back and fourth for three and a half quarters in the West Coast Conference Tournament Championship, but when the game called for someone to step up, it was Lauren Whittaker and the Bulldogs who answered, beating the Beavers 76-66 to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The loss ends the Beavers season with an overall record of 23-11
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After both teams traded turnovers in the early minutes of the game, Oregon State got on the scoreboard first with a layup from Tiara Bolden. Lauren Whittaker answered for the Bulldogs with a jumper, along with a free throw to give Gonzaga the lead. Bolden and Ines Bettencourt traded threes, with the Bulldogs protecting a small lead for much of the quarter before a late three from Allly Schimel put the Beavers in front. A three from Lauren Whittaker put Gonzaga back in front as the first quarter ended, with the Bulldogs leading 19-17.
The secodn quarter was slow for both teams, but slower for Gonzaga, who went nearly seven minutes without a field goal. Lauren Whittaker hit a layup and a three point jumper early in the quarter to give the Bulldogs a seven point lead, but after that momentum swung back toward the Beavers. A Lizzy Williamson layup, a three from Jenna Villa and a pair of free throws from Tiara Bolden tied the game for Oregon State. Villa later gave the Beavers before the end of the half with another pair of free throws. Oregon State clung on to a one point, 28-27 lead at the half.
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Whittaker put the Bulldogs back in front at the start of the second half with a jumper. Jenna Villa nad Ally Schimel helped the Beavers keep pace with Gonzaga for awhile, but as the quarter wore on the Bulldogs began to pull away. A second chance jumper from Paige Lofing and a layup from Zeryhia Aokuso after an Oregon State turnover got the Gonzaga lead up to six, showcasing the Bulldogs ability to capitalize on Beaver miscues. Jenna Villa hit a pair of free throws to get Oregon State within four, 53-49, before the start of the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately the Beavers just could not find a rhythm in the final period. Kennedie Shuler, Lizzy Williamson and Tiara Bolden managed to tie the game around the six minute mark, but Oregon State could not make a three point shot, and the Bulldogs punished them down the stretch. Oregon State's defense set Gonzaga to the foul line regularly in the final minutes of the game, allowing Gonzaga to build a solid lead, and the Beavers inability to find a big bucket meant that lead was impossible to erase. One last pair of free throws from Allie Turner sealed the 10 point, 76-66 win for Gonzaga.
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Jenna Villa led the Beavers in scoring with 20 points, three rebounds and an assist. Tiara Bolden was right behind her with 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Lizzy Williamson also broke into double digits in scoring, with 12 points and nine rebounds.
We'll see if the Women's NIT comes calling for Oregon State, but if not, that's it for the 2025-26 Women's Basketball season. It's time to start looking ahead at the first year of the new Pac-12.
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.