What a shocking day at Gill Coliseum. 45 minutes before tip off word spread quickly that Kobe Bryant had been killed in a helicopter crash. Players were crying and the mood was just plain weird. The players from both teams gathered at midcourt for a pregame prayer.
The game could be called a tribute to Kobe. A well-played game with a fierce effort by both teams. Oregon State looked primed to keep their winning streak against Oregon going. They hadn't lost to the Ducks in Gill since 2010 and led 37-34 at halftime.
But the second half belonged to Oregon and they sweep the Beavers for the first time since that 2010 season. Coach Scott Rueck says the entire day was just off because of the tragedy right before the start of the game:
Here is the official account of the game from Oregon State athletics:
The No. 7 Oregon State women's basketball team fell to No. 4 Oregon 66-57 Sunday afternoon at a sold out Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.
"What an environment," said Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck. "I'm so proud of our program and everybody involved to be able to create an atmosphere like that. Give Oregon credit. They made the plays, especially in the third quarter and that was really the game. They made it hard for us to get looks. I'm really proud of our group – we have a long way to go though. This is the toughest stretch anybody has had in the country, these last three games. We talked about it after the game – heads up, rest up, keep getting better. We'll be back in the gym Tuesday ready to go."
Mikayla Pivec led the Beavers with 20 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 9-for-14 from the floor. The double-double was Pivec's ninth of the season and the 22ndof her career.
Aleah Goodman went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to finish with nine points. She was matched by Destiny Slocum, who also scored nine.
Freshman Taylor Jones tallied eight points and three blocks.Kat Tudor also recorded eight points.
The Beavers shot 40 percent from the floor, while Oregon shot 39 percent. Oregon State moves to 16-4 on the season (4-4 in Pac-12 play), while Oregon improves to 17-2 on the year (7-1 Pac-12).
Oregon got off to a hot start, scoring the first eight points of the game, but the Beavers responded with 10 unanswered points to take their first lead of the game. The two sides went back and forth for the remainder of the quarter, with OSU heading to the second up 16-15.
Oregon State used a 7-0 run late in the second to take a five-point lead. The Beavers went to the break up 37-34.
The Ducks were able to take a seven-point lead late in the third quarter, and went to the closing frame in front 52-45. Oregon led from there on its way to the nine-point win.