The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeff Wick

There was no question that the Beavers had come to win in last night's victory over the Washington Huskies.

With Oregon State winning the tip off, senior guard Brittney Davis drove to the hoop, only to be fouled for two free throws, beginning of her 12-free-throw streak on the night. Davis led the Beavers with 20 points, continuing her seventh consecutive game in double digits.

"I was just really focused on making my free throws," Davis said. "Those should be free; we should always make free throws."

The Beavers led the game for the majority of the half, boosting their lead to 22-11 with an eight-point run late in the first half. After a timeout, Washington's Laura McLellan came out and ended OSU's run with a rebound off of Sami Whitcomb's shot, making the score 22-13, cutting OSU's lead to nine. The closest the Huskies came was 27-19, trailing the Beavers by eight points in the last three minutes of the half. Sophomore guard Talisa Rhea made a basket to send the Beavers into the locker room at halftime, up 34-24.

"We came down in the locker room, and we had a lead," head coach LaVonda Wagner said. "We knew a five-possession lead against a team that shoots the three ball that well was not a lot. We felt we needed to go up and finish the second half in a certain way."

With senior guard Mercedes Fox-Griffin on the bench for the majority of the first half due to foul trouble, Davis had to command the Beavers on the floor. At the end of the half, Oregon State was shooting 40 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line. Freshman forward Kristen Tilleman led the Beavers with six rebounds, finishing the night with 10 boards overall.

On the other side of the court, Washington headed to the locker room with 24 points, being led by senior guard Sami Whitcomb with 11 points in the first half and ending the game with 23 points. The Huskies shot 34 percent from the field and 50 percent from the stripe to end the first half.

At the beginning of the second half of play, both teams came out hungry. Washington's defense forced two immediate Oregon State turnovers and allowed only one shot from Brittney Davis before going on a four-point run, bringing them within six points of the Beavers at a score of 36-30.

Rhea quickly answered back to the Huskies with a mid-range jumper that was followed by a shot block at the other end by Tilleman. Midway through the second half, Washington got into foul trouble, sending Oregon State's Davis and Fox-Griffin to the line repeatedly.

Continued...

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