CORVALLIS — The largest women’s basketball crowd at Gill Coliseum this season ought to pay a little extra for their tickets on the way out of the building after what they saw Friday night.
Talia von Oelhoffen hit a top-of-the-key three-pointer with no time remaining, giving No. 11 Oregon State a 79-77 win over No. 9 UCLA. It capped an incredible finish where the two teams combined for 10 points during the final 6.6 seconds.
Oregon State (21-3, 10-3 Pac-12) took over sole possession of second place in the Pac-12, one game behind first place Stanford. A crowd of 8,525 watched in disbelief and amazement, including 2,369 students, a school record for a women’s basketball game.
The Beavers, playing most of the game without their leading scorer and rebounder in Raegan Beers, staged a sensational rally during the final 2:30 to win their sixth consecutive game.
Trailing 72-65, OSU ran off nine consecutive points take a two-point lead with 15 seconds left on two free throws by Timea Gardiner. Turns out both teams were just getting warmed up.
First it was UCLA, as Angela Dugalic buried a three-pointer with 6.6 seconds left. Then, after the teams called three timeouts, von Oelhoffen took an inbound pass, drove off a high screen for a layup and a 77-76 OSU lead.
The Bruins (19-5, 8-5) weren’t done. Lauren Betts, who led UCLA with 24 points, coolly hit a 15-foot jumper with 1.1 seconds to put the Bruins back in front. That left Oregon State with one pass and one shot to win it. Lily Hansford inbounded the ball to von Oelhoffen, who pivoted near the top of the key just behind the three-point line and floated in the game-winner.
Von Oelhoffen hit four three-pointers and led Oregon State with 22 points. Gardiner was right behind von Oelhoffen with 21 points.
Oregon State lost Beers one minute into the second quarter. While defending underneath UCLA’s basket, Beers took a hard elbow to her nose from UCLA’s Kiki Rice and crumpled to the floor. There was no word immediately after the game about Beers’ injury or status.
UCLA led 34-32 following a wild first half that saw Beers leave the game, two intentional fouls and one technical foul, and OSU trying to figure out how to cope without its leading scorer.
The Beavers scored the final eight points of the first quarter to lead 12-11. Beers left the game 56 seconds into the second quarter, rattling the Beavers. But OSU stayed in the game, trading leads several times with UCLA. The Bruins’ Londynn Jones scored during the final minute to give UCLA the halftime lead.
UCLA led by as many as seven points during the third quarter, only to have the Beavers roar back. Gardiner hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie it at 58-58 heading to the fourth.
OSU traded baskets early in the fourth, but UCLA took control after Rice hit a three with 7:58 left for a 65-62 Bruins lead. A few minutes later, UCLA was able to increase the lead to seven points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the surging Beavers.
Oregon State completes this weekend’s homestand at noon Sunday when the Beavers face No. 10 USC at Gill Coliseum.
— Nick Daschel covers Oregon State football, basketball and other Beaver-related athletics topics. Reach him at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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