The Beavers turned the ball over 21 times, but hot shooting saved the day.
Despite committing 21 turnovers against a high-pressure defense, Oregon State women’s basketball beat Air Force, 60-49, on Monday night at Gill Coliseum.
The Beavers (2-0) shot 51% from the field, hitting seven three-pointers, and were led by Tiara Bolden with 23 points on 8 of 13 shooting.
OSU also got 12 points on 4 of 6 three-point shooting from Ally Schimel; 11 points and 12 rebounds from steady freshman forward Lara Alonso-Basurto; and a game-high eight assists from Kennedie Shuler.
The Falcons (1-2) shot just 28% against the Beavers and were out-rebounded, 43-27, by an OSU team with a major size advantage inside.
The hot shooting started with Bolden, who scored 10 consecutive points in the first quarter to give OSU a 13-8 lead. That extended to 17-8 after one, solidified by strong interior defense from OSU center Néné Sow.
Alonso-Basurto carried the offense off the bench in the second quarter. Her basket, followed by a three-pointer from Schimel, made it 29-18 Beavers.
At the half, OSU led 32-20 while shooting 59% from the field.
In the third, the Falcons ability to keep forcing turnovers kept them in it, and they cut into the lead with an 11-2 run to begin the second half.
OSU responded with a 9-0 run following a full timeout from Scott Rueck.
Schimel and Alonso-Basurto paired up once again for a three-pointer and basket inside on back-to-back possessions, and Bolden hit a midrange jumper for her first points since the first quarter. The Beavers led, 43-36, through three.
As the intensity picked up early in the fourth, Rueck received a technical foul, and guard Jenna Villa had to leave the game with an apparent ankle injury. OSU clung to a five-point lead.
Air Force kept up the offensive pace, utilizing dribble hand-offs and midrange jumpers to remain close. But back-to-back buckets from Sow inside gave OSU a 51-44 advantage with just under five minutes left.
The two teams traded mostly misses and turnovers for more than three minutes, but a reverse layup from Bolden kept the OSU lead at seven with under a minute to go.
It ballooned to double digits as the Beavers hit their free throws down the stretch, sealing the deal on a gritty win and solid offensive performance despite their errors.
Next game: Oregon State (2-0) vs. Illinois (2-0)
- When: Friday, Nov. 10
- Time: 6:00 pm PT
- Where: Gill Coliseum
- Stream: ESPN+
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