No. 16 Oregon State women’s basketball (15-1, 4-0 Pac-12) edged No. 10 Stanford (13-3, 3-1) 72-69 in double overtime this Sunday at Maples Pavilion, snapping the Cardinal’s five-game winning streak.

This marked Stanford’s first conference loss this season and just its fifth since 2007-08.

With 2:01 left in the game, senior forward Erica McCall buried a three to close the gap to 44-46. After the Beavers scored a bucket, senior guard Brianna Robertson made another three-pointer to make it a one-point game.

The Cardinal were down 49-51 with 12 seconds left in the game. Junior guard Brittany McPhee stepped up to score a contested layup, during which she was fouled. Although she failed to make the free throw that would have been a game winner, her layup tied the game and sent it to overtime.

“Our free throws could have made a big difference,” said head coach Tara VanDerveer. “We are at the free throw line and we can win it.”

Although the Cardinal managed to pull away and gain a substantial lead during the first overtime, the Beavers were always able to catch up thanks to a great three-point shooting display from Oregon State’s Sydney Wiese. Despite going scoreless in the first half of the game, McCall was able to turn her game around when it mattered most. She scored 10 of the 12 Stanford points during the first extra period, including a game-tying layup with a few seconds left on the clock.

“When my shots started to get in, I was really getting more confident,” McCall said. “I was shooting it to make it.”

During the second overtime, Wiese was again able to score decisive three pointers for Oregon. Despite a three-point shot from McCall and a layup from freshman forward Nadia Fingall to keep Stanford competitive, the Beavers retained their advantage to win the game by three points.

“Sydney Wiese is a heck of a player,” VanDerveer said. “We had people all over her, but she was hitting big threes.”

Throughout the game, both teams played solid defense while struggling offensively. Even though Stanford only shot 33 percent from the field, the Cardinal held the Beavers to a 38-percent shooting. Stanford had 17 steals and five blocks, forcing Oregon State to 22 turnovers. Oregon State was able to prevent Karlie Samuelson from making an impact with her three pointers, as she did not attempt any long shots against the Beavers.

“I think we worked really hard defensively, but we had some defensive breakdowns,” VanDerveer admitted.“I thought they worked really hard defensively, and it was hard for us to get good looks.”

McCall still managed a double-double night, leading the Cardinal with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Fingall scored 10 points, while Samuelson grabbed eight rebounds.

“People stepped up. Bird [Erica McCall] had 25 points. I think it just shows what she is capable of. She really battled,” VanDerveer said.

Last Friday, Stanford beat Oregon (11-5, 1-3) 81-60. Sophomore forward Alanna Smith led the Cardinal against the Ducks with a career-high 24 points, 14 of which were scored in the fourth quarter, as the Cardinal were taking the lead.

Stanford women’s basketball returns to action on the road on Jan. 13 when they face Utah (12-3, 1-3) in Salt Lake City.

 

Contact Alexandre Bucquet at bucqueta ‘at’ stanford.edu.