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On their first road trip of the season the Oregon State Women’s Basketball Team suffered their first loss of the year, falling to the 12th ranked Michigan Wolverines 61-52. The loss came in the Beavers’ first matchup in the Daytona Beach Invitational, and drops them to 3-1 overall.
At the start of the game the Beavers grabbed an early lead with back to back layups from Taylor Jones and Taya Corosdale, but after that the Wolverines grabbed control. Six straight points from Naz Hillmon gave Michigan the lead. Threes from Talia Von Oelhoffen and Tea Adams kept the Beavers close, but Michigan held onto a 5 point, 17-12 lead at the end of the first.
A pair of layups from Ellie Mack and three free throws from Kennedy Brown got the Beavers to within one in the second quarter, but they couldn’t grab the lead. Naz Hillmon once again powered the Wolverines offense, putting up 8 points in the quarter and 14 in the half. The Beavers’ offense sputtered down the stretch, and Oregon State left the floor down 31-23 at halftime.
Oregon State’s forwards got the Beavers to a strong start in the second half. Kennedy Brown, Taya Corosdale and Taylor Jones combined to get the Beavers within 3, and then a Greta Kampschroeder three tied the game at 36. Michigan took the lead back, but then an AJ Marotte three gave Oregon State their first lead since the first quarter. The Wolverines battled back, and the game headed to the fourth quarter tied 40-40.
A 7 point Wolverine run set the tone for the final 10 minutes. Michigan leapt out in front and stayed in control for most of the quarter. Threes from Emily Codding and Talia Von Oelhoffen kept the Beavers within striking distance, but they could never close the gap, falling by 9.
Kennedy Brown led the Beavers in scoring, in one of her best games since returning to the team. She finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. No other Beaver broke double digits, with scoring being very balanced for Oregon State. Tea Adams, Taylor Jones and Talia Von Oelhoffen each finished with 6 points, tied for second for OSU.
The Beavers final game in the Daytona Beach Invitational is set for later today, with the Beavers facing Notre Dame in a Saturday afternoon matchup. Tip off is set for 3:45 PM PT, with FloHoops carrying the game.