Jan. 22—It seemed only appropriate that the Gonzaga/Oregon State women’s basketball showdown went to overtime Thursday.
After all, both regular-season games last year needed extra time, and the Beavers rallied for a close win in the conference tournament semifinals to top the Bulldogs.
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Gonzaga had every opportunity to win Thursday, never trailing by more than eight points. But playing from behind most of the way was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome before 4,257 at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis.
Washington State transfer Jenna Villa made four free throws in the final 13.3 seconds of overtime, allowing Oregon State to escape with a 92-87 victory.
The fact the game even got to overtime was bordering on believability. Freshman guard Paige Lofing came off the bench with 8.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter and made a 26-footer four seconds later for a 79-all tie.
“I kept telling her multiple times to stay ready, and she was ready,” Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said of Lofing’s huge shot. “I’m really glad that she came in and had the confidence in herself that we have in her.”
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Oregon State didn’t get a shot off and the game proceeded to overtime.
Zeryhia Aokuso gave Gonzaga an 81-80 lead 30 seconds into overtime, but the Zags wouldn’t lead again.
Oregon State (15-6 , 7-1 WCC) is now in first by itself in the league. Gonzaga (14-7, 6-2) slips into a tie for second in the loss column with Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount.
The matchup Thursday between WCC heavyweights lived up to its billing to be sure.
The game came down to Oregon State’s offensive balance offsetting a herculean effort by Gonzaga redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker.
Whittaker tied the school record for points in a game with 37 — a mark set by Jill Barta in 2017. She made 12 of 26 from the field, 12 of 14 from the free-throw line and had 14 rebounds for her 11th double-double, a freshman record and a mark that leads all freshmen nationally.
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“It was a really good game for fans,” Fortier said. “I thought our team played hard. Both teams took turns making mistakes at critical times or having lapses at critical times. That’s what got us back into it.”
The Beavers needed all the contributions from four key players. Villa led with 31 points. She made 15 of 20 free throws and 4 of 5 from 3-point range and added six rebounds.
Beavers point guard Kennedie Shuler fell one assist shy of a triple-double. She had 17 points, 10 steals, nine assists and three blocked shots. Ally Schimel had 15 points and four assists and Tiara Bolden added 14 points.
Schimel’s best, though, had to come on defense, as she drew the assignment of defending Allie Turner, the Zags’ top 3-point shooter. Turner made her lone 3-pointer in the first half, but was held to a season-low five points and took just three shots. She fired off a 3-pointer that was ruled after the horn in overtime.
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The Bulldogs had 16 turnovers, three fewer than OSU. But the Beavers outscored the Zags 25-11 in points off turnovers.
Gonzaga had just one other player in double figures. Aokuso finished with 12 points, five assists and three rebounds.
When Gonzaga bumped ahead at 81-80 in overtime, it was the Zags’ first lead since 14-11 with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter.
“I really liked how our team never said die,” Fortier said. “We just kept chipping away at it. It’s called a junk defense that they threw at us, a box-and-one … where Allie was denied everywhere. It took us a little time to figure it out.”
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The Beavers led 30-22 with a little more than five minutes remaining in the half. The Zags clawed back, knotting the score at 38-all when sophomore transfer Teryn Gardner made a 3-pointer with 48 seconds to go in the second quarter.
Villa gave OSU the lead at 40-38, then OSU coach Scott Rueck was assessed a technical. Turner made both shots, allowing Gonzaga to go into halftime tied with the Beavers at 40.
The teams play again Feb. 5 in Spokane, Gonzaga’s next home game. The Zags are off for a week before traveling to San Francisco on Jan. 29.
