The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Andrew Burton Senior guard Casey Nash, who's averaging more than 20 points per game for the Beavers, will play her last games in Gill this weekend.

For Casey Nash, this is it.

The guard for OSU, the Pac-10's leading scorer at 20-plus points per game, will play her last games in Gill Coliseum this weekend, starting tonight against the No. 9 Stanford Cardinal.

"It's crazy," Nash said. "This year has flown by.

"Early in the year we proved ourselves and lately we haven't been able to close games out ... and that's been very frustrating because we're better than that. I think that's the scariest part. We're a lot better than we sometimes think we are."

While the Cardinal will provide a tough challenge for OSU, there is good news; Stanford is without a true point guard.

The Cardinal lost starter JJ Hones - a Beaverton native - to a torn ACL a week ago. Melanie Murphy, a freshman, is expected to start in her place.

"I've said it before: we just focus on ourselves," Nash said.

The Beavers played a tough game against Stanford in Maples Pavilion, leading by 11 at halftime before falling 69-55. In the first half, OSU held a 22-21 rebounding edge, but the Cardinal kept the Beavers in check in the second half, out-rebounding them 26-6 in the final 20 minutes.

"We played them really tough at their place, and I think they'll definitely come in here and take us very, very seriously," said coach LaVonda Wagner. "They still have people with game experience.

The Beavers will need continued point production from Nash, who led all scorers with 20 points at Stanford.

But Stanford has a scorer of its own in Candice Wiggins, a junior who is a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year.

"She can score so many ways and she's a big shot player," Wagner said.

Stanford also features Lake Oswego native Jillian Harmon, a three-time Oregon player of the year who is currently averaging eight points and five rebounds per game.

Saturday is senior night and No. 22 Cal will be in town. The Bears have four players averaging more than seven points per game and feature former Oregon high school standout Lauren Grief.

In Berkeley, the Beavers battled back from a 15-point deficit but Cal edged out a 63-57 win.

Nash is averaging 20.5 points per game and freshman Judie Lomax chips in with 11 points and eight rebounds per game. Point guard Mercedes Fox-Griffin is averaging nine points and six assists per game.

Both games will tip off at 7 p.m. Tonight is "Fill Gill," where all general admission tickets are $1.

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