The Barometer Online

Issue date: 1/7/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Ethan Erickson Senior guard Brittney Davis is third on the OSU roster in points with 150. Davis is averaging 12.5 points per game as Oregon State heads into their second week of Pac-10 play.

With Pac-10 play underway and a solid pre-season, the Oregon State women's basketball team is talented, balanced and ready for success.

OSU women's basketball is more than ready to take on the 2008-2009 season. The team has started out strong in the pre-season with a 9-1 record. Ending at eighth in the conference last year with an overall record of 12-19 and conference record of 4-14, the Beavers have plenty of room for improvement. Winning seven games at home last year and three on the road, OSU has already almost tied its winning record from last season, winning all of its six home games.

The roster this season is stacked with talent across the board. With three seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen, all possessing talent and strength, it is clear that this team is perfectly balanced.

Highly recruited freshman guard Brittany Kennedy is one to look for this season with her energetic play and defensive stops. She's a quick player who always looks to her teammates before taking the shot.

Sophomore guard Talisa Rhea and sophomore center Alex Mitchell, both returning players, also appear strong this season, leading off with big stats and Pac-10 honors.

Rhea ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in average points per game with 14.7 (Mitchell is ranked seventh with 13.9). Rhea already has one record under her belt from the season opener against Sacramento State in which she drained 10 three-pointers and set the new Pac-10 record. The Beavers scored 100 points in that game, something that hadn't happened since the 100-86 win over Washington in 2003. Rhea scored 42 points, which was the fourth most points scored in a game in school history.

Mitchell also leads the conference with a .642 field-goal percentage. Mitchell was recently named Pac-10 player of the week of Dec. 15-21 for her outstanding performance against UNLV (91-54), UC Irvine (71-42) and Cal State Bakersfield (60-56). She had three double-digit games and averaged 17.7 points with almost seven rebounds per game.

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