PACK IT UP
From the Elite Eight to the Exodus Eight; from the PAC 12 to the WCC: no team was more impacted by conference restructuring than were the Oregon State Beavers.
Last season, a 27-8 (12-6 in the PAC 12) run concluded with an Elite Eight loss to eventual champion South Carolina. Shortly thereafter, basketball life without the PAC 12 in Corvallis hit home. Eight Beavers scattered to power conference teams taking with them much of last season’s scoring punch. First to go was 6’4” forward Raegan Beers packing her double-doubles for Oklahoma. Last to go was one time Gopher commit Dominika Paurova who booked to Kentucky.
OSU’s subsequent move to the West Coast Conference was a marriage of convenience with an impending divorce in two years. That’s when Boise State, Fresno State, Utah State, San Diego State, Gonzaga and Colorado State will join Oregon State and Washington State in a reconstituted PAC 12.
In the Beavers only D1 outing before meeting Minnesota, they lost to future PAC 12 conference foe Colorado State 59-65. OSU led 34-33 at the half but only mustered 6 third quarter points letting the Rams escape with the win.
Oregon State was projected 4th in this season’s WCC behind Gonzaga, Washington State and Portland. Optimism for the Beaver’s eventual return to basketball’s upper echelon is based on the coaching ability of OSU’s Scott Rueck.
Rueck is entering his 15th season as OSU’s head coach. His defensive style has produced eight NCAA appearances advancing to two Elite Eights. During his tenure the Beavers won three PAC 12 titles. This season he has scrambled to assemble a roster.
First up is Australian Kelsey Rees. The 6’5” senior forward played two years at Utah before making the move to OSU last season. Rees produced 16 points and 17 rebounds in 38 minutes versus Colorado State. She is also a three-point threat.
5’10” sophomore guard Kennedie Shular appeared in 33 games last season and had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 33 minutes versus the Rams.
6’1” senior forward AJ Marotte is a team leader who started 35 games last season. In the opener she had 13 points and 6 rebounds in 40 minutes.
Catarina Ferreira is a 6’0” senior guard from Brazil who joined the Beavers after three years with Baylor. She scored 6 points in 21 minutes in the opener.
Tiara Bolden is a 5’11” senior guard who transferred from La Salle. She delivered 2 points and 5 rebounds in her outing as a Beaver.
Two other notable players are:
6’7” senior forward Sela Heide transferred to OSU last season after two years at Cal. She produced 8 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes versus Colorado State.
6’5” freshman forward Elisa Mehyar is from Denmark and did not play in the opener.
Pack a lunch. Reviving the Beavers is going to take time. Reviving the PAC 12 is going to take some effort.
