Oregon State Outlasts Gonzaga WBB 92-87 in Instant Classic Overtime Affair
CORVALLIS, Ore. – In each of the three matchups last year between Gonzaga women’s basketball (14-7, 6-2) and Oregon State (15-6, 7-1) during the Beavers’ inaugural season in the WCC, the teams were separated by no more than four points. And the first installment of this year’s saga between the Bulldogs and Beavers was close once more, with OSU squeaking out a 92-87 overtime victory on its home court.
Despite a phenomenal performance from GU forward Lauren Whittaker, who scored a career-high 37 points on 12-for-26 shooting while totaling 14 rebounds, it wasn’t enough for the Zags to pull ahead and get a premium win on the road. The only other Bulldog to finish with double figures in scoring was guard Zeryhia Aokuso, who had 12 points, five assists, and three boards in the loss.
Meanwhile, OSU got well-rounded contributions from its starting lineup in particular, as four of them tallied at least 14 points. Kennedie Shuler came one assist short of a 17-point triple-double, where she notched a career-high 10 steals and even blocked three shots. Guard Jenna Villa led Oregon State with 31 points, as she wound up taking 20 free throws, and was a consistent presence.
The Zags hung in tough throughout, never allowing Oregon State to pull away, especially when the Beavers had multiple chances to in the second half. That rode until the final buzzer sounded in the extra period, as Gonzaga battled even to push the game to the point of free basketball. GU guard Inês Bettencourt committed two brutal turnovers down two in the final minutes, one on a fast break after getting a steal and another lazy pass where Shuler jumped into the lane and eventually drew a clear path technical foul.
But own six with 25 seconds remaining, Whittaker created two separate and-1 opportunities while the Bulldogs played the foul game in an attempt to cut into the lead while preserving as much time as possible. Later, down three and out of timeouts, GU inbounded the ball to Whittaker at half court, who pivoted and found true freshman Paige Lofing on the left hash, who had just checked into the game for the first time. The 47.1% shooter from beyond the arc then drained the deep shot to knot the contest at 79 apiece, earning congratulatory shoves from her teammates and coaches.
In the additional five minutes, Shuler fouled out on the Zags’ first offensive possession, as she was the assailant on both of Whittaker’s three-point plays in the backend of the fourth quarter. But as impactful as Shuler was, the Bulldogs couldn’t capitalize and missed several key open looks as well as free throws, running out of steam in the end.
There was clunkiness in GU’s offensive operation during much of the middle portions of the game. OSU switched to a zone late in the first quarter that gave Gonzaga fits, as the only feasible shots created consistently were mid-range jumpers from the elbow, or Whittaker barreling her way inside. Playing the gaps really allowed Shuler’s savviness to shine through, as she poked in passing lanes, and when one of the forwards turned to take one of those jumpers, she blocked several of them from behind.
The defense really impacted Allie Turner, who didn’t record her first field goal until the 4:20 mark in the second quarter, an off-the-dribble three-pointer from the top of the key. Finishing with a season-low three shot attempts in 43 minutes, the sophomore guard was thoroughly taken out of the game by Oregon State, which could be pointed to as the difference in the five-point loss.
After being separated by two points in last year’s conference tournament semifinals and predicted to finish the regular season as the top two seeds in the WCC, the Bulldogs and Beavers showed nothing more than that they are truly neck-and-neck at the moment, with the next chapter between the programs slated back in Spokane two weeks from today. But first, Gonzaga will travel to the Bay Area for a matchup with San Francisco next Thursday, January 29, at 6 PM PT.
