Women's basketball hopes to win for seniors
OSU takes on Utah, Colorado to finish out home schedule
Published: Friday, March 1, 2013
Updated: Friday, March 1, 2013 04:03
The Oregon State women’s basketball return home after a close loss against No. 6 California for its last home games of the season, taking on Utah and No. 19 Colorado.
Last Sunday against Cal, Oregon State (9-19, 3-13 Pac-12), played its best game of the season, holding the lead for almost the entire game before falling by two points in the final seconds, 58-56. Despite the loss, the team has taken confidence away from the performance against Cal.
“Our team should be extremely confident,” said head coach Scott Rueck. “We hit a different level of performance that game than we hadn’t experienced yet this year. It was an extremely focused performance for 40 minutes.”
The team has struggled this season to give consistent effort for the full 40 minutes of a game. Basketball is a game of runs, and so far this season the Beavers have been unable to string together solid runs for a full game.
“I think a game like that hasn’t happened and we have been waiting to erupt,” said senior guard Mollee Schwegler. “Now I feel like we are starting to come into our potential, and I think it is going to roll into this weekend.”
With the Beavers ending regular conference games at home this weekend, it was a perfect time for OSU to finally live up to its potential.
OSU has the chance to send its seniors off with a couple of wins if the Beavers can play at the level they did last weekend.
“You have to give your all in the last two games,” said senior forward ShaKiana Edwards-Teasley. “It’s been an honor playing here and you just have to give it all for your fans and your team and the coaches.”
The team will be honoring its five seniors, Edwards-Teasley, Patricia Bright, Schwegler, Thais Pinto and Quortni Fambro, before the Sunday game against Colorado.
The seniors have been a key element in the program’s development since Rueck took over the struggling program. Each has contributed in different ways to the growing success of the program as a whole.
“Our whole senior class has brought a lot,” said freshman center Ruth Hamblin. “Mollee Schwegler has been a great leader for us this year, and also Patricia Bright. Just in the post I have been able to learn a lot from her, they are all going to be missed.”
Bright has shined at Oregon State from day one, making it into the record books after only playing at OSU for two years. She has been a leader both on and off the court for the Beavers.
Both Pinto and Fambro have seen little playing time this year, but have still contributed to the team. Pinto has had a season riddled with injuries that have prevented her from playing — but has still been able to challenge the posts in practice. Fambro has also taken on a role in providing a challenging presence in practice.
“Quortni [Fambro] hasn’t been on the court a lot,” Rueck said. “But she’s been a significant contributor to our program in challenging Ali Gibson every day a year ago, and then again this year with Jamie Weisner.”
Both Schwegler and Edwards-Teasley came into the program last year earning spots in the regular lineup.
“Mollee [Schwegler] has just continued to improve since the moment she got here, has been our most consistent performer of the last month and is finishing her career in style,” Rueck said. “I think ShaKiana [Edwards-Teasley] has been a rock for our team this year, really someone we can count on.”
Another lesser-known graduating member of the Oregon State team is head team manager Corbin Davey. Anyone who has been around the women’s basketball team knows the difference Corbin makes off the court for the program.
“Corbin has been as key as anybody over the last three years,” Rueck said. “There are people that just show up for work and then there are people that make a difference above and beyond, and he has put his heart and soul into this program and into the lives of our players.”
Sarah Kerrigan, sports reporter
is a member of the 
