Oregon State Women’s Basketball: Opponent Preview - Washington

The 11th ranked Oregon State Beavers Women’s basketball team looks to erase the tension from a close win when they take on the Washington Huskies in game 15 of the season. Tip-off is slated for 2 PM PST on Sunday, January 6th. Check out the team’s Twitter page for ways to follow along live. Let’s take a closer look at the Huskies.

Washington (7-7 overall, 0-2 conference)

Last season: 7-23 overall, 1-17 in PAC-12 (12th), no postseason

The Huskies come into Corvallis after hanging tough with the fifth ranked Oregon Ducks on Sunday. Falling into a nine-point hole after the first quarter in Eugene, Washing made things interesting by storming back to bring the game within one at halftime and then again with six minutes left in the game before ultimately falling, 84-71.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what to make of Washington right now. If you look at their .500 record, they’re one of the worst teams in the PAC-12 right now. But if you look at their schedule closely, you’ll see that they have a couple quality wins over Duke and Ohio State. They’ve lost seven games, but only one in a blowout to a highly ranked Mississippi State team. I think this highlights a team that is still rebuilding but definitely on the rise with a new coach.

Speaking of which, Head Coach Jody Wynn leads the Dawgs for the second season. Washington’s head woman came aboard the season after NCAA’s all time leading scorer, Kelsey Plum, left some big shoes to fill, hence the major rebuild. Wynn notably lead Long Beach State to some successful season before her stop in Seattle. Beaver fans may remember the near heart attack “The Beach” gave them a couple years ago in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Corvallis.

Who to watch

#4 - Amber Melgoza, Junior Guard

An All-PAC-12 performer a year ago as a sophomore, Melgoza looks to be hunting for more accolades this year. She leads the team in points (19.4 per contest), assists (3), minutes (28.3), steals (1.5), and second on the team in rebounds (4.9). She is definitely one to watch as she is likely going to get her points like she did last year with 19 and 18 point performances against the Beavers.

#24 - Jenna Moser, Senior Guard

The former walk-on, Moser, does a little bit of everything for Washington whether it’s knocking down three-pointers, getting a steal, or grinding out minutes on the floor. A year ago she led the team in minutes at over thirty, and this year she is their most dangerous three point-shooter, hitting nearly half her shots from downtown.

#35 - Alexis Griggsby, Sophomore Guard

Coming into their most recent game against Oregon, Gribbsby had just scored 26 points all season. She was plugged into the starting lineup for the first time and made the most of her opportunity by matching her season total 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including six three-pointers. If the Huskies are going to get their first conference win, they’ll need another big game from her.

Prediction

Oregon State got a scare from Washington State on Friday after Kat Tudor went down with a knee injury (no update on her injury at the time of this writing) in the second quarter of their contest, but were able to grit out the win. Washington certainly won’t be missing Tudor after she torched them in their last meeting with 23 points, including a 7-of-9 performance from behind the arc. On top of Tudor’s injury, the Beavers will also be missing Janessa Thropay for the second straight game due to a hand injury sustained against Cal State Bakersfield. The Huskies are certainly an improved team from a year ago, so all things considered, this may be a closer than anticipated matchup than it was earlier in the week. Beavers pull away in the fourth after going back and forth for three quarters.