Troy falls short in first round, loses 31-73 to Oregon State

A strong first quarter was all Oregon State needed to take down the Troy women’s basketball team at home 31-73 on Friday, March 18.

The game, which was the first round of the NCAA tournament in the Dallas Region, was hosted by the No. 2 seed Beavers (29-4, 16-2 Pac-12) in Corvallis, Oregon. The No. 15 Trojans were no match for the Beavers, who outplayed them on every front.

One impressive feat that Troy was able to accomplish was holding the Pac-12 player of the year Jamie Weisner to just two points and 1-of-7 shooting. This season, Weisner shot 48 percent and averaged just over 17 points per game.

From the opening tip, Oregon State had complete control of the game, outscoring the Trojans (20-13, 12-8 Sun Belt) 23-4 in the first quarter. Troy was simply unable to get shots fall from the get go, shooting just 12-of-74 from the field.

Senior guard Ashley Beverly-Kelley and junior forward Kristen Emerson led the Trojans with nine points each. Junior guard Claresa Banks added four points as well.

Troy continued to struggle in the second quarter, with senior center Ruth Hamblin leading the way for Oregon State offensively as well as defensively. Excellent ball movement helped the Beavers extend their lead to 40-14 by halftime.

It was the lowest point total in a half for Troy this season. In the second half, Oregon State didn’t let up at either end, forcing the visitors to make tough shots on nearly every possession and capitalizing on misses at the other end.

For the Beavers, both Hamblin and junior guard Sydney Weise recorded double doubles. Hamblin scored 18 points and hauled in 18 rebounds, while Weise scored 10 points and grabbed 10 boards. Sophomore center Marie Gullich also contributed with 12 points.

With the loss, the Trojans’ season comes to a close after becoming the first Troy women’s basketball team to win a Sun Belt title on their way to the program’s second-ever NCAA tournament appearance.