Anteaters Rally to Get Close Before Falling to Oregon State

The hole was too deep and the run was too short for the UC Irvine women’s basketball team.

Oregon State held off the one challenge the Anteaters made, then went back to overwhelming them in a 62-53 victory in the final of the Oregon State tournament Saturday. It was a moment to look back in anger, at least for Irvine Coach Mark Adams.

“We got our butts kicked on the old boards,” Adams said. “Blocking out is all mental. We couldn’t do it.”

It led to their downfall.

Irvine cut a nine-point Oregon State lead to 48-47 with 3 minutes 24 seconds left. But the Beavers (3-1) got four points off offensive rebounds, as they had done the whole game, to pull away again. They made six consecutive free throws to clinch the victory.

It was a tough loss for Irvine (1-4), coming on the heels of a solid effort Friday in beating Ohio.

Point guard Megan Stafford and center Chelsea Mackey were back from suspensions for violating team rules. Walk-on Cindy Oparah had a 19-point game. The Anteaters shook off three losses with the 77-56 victory over Ohio and seemed headed for better days.

Oregon State put an end to that. Irvine was out-rebounded, 44-32. The Beavers had 20 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 points. Sissel Pierce (22 points, nine rebounds) and Tammy Arnold (14 points, 12 rebounds) did the most damage.

And still the Anteaters had a shot at winning.

Lei Salea’s rebound and layup gave the Beavers a 44-35 lead with 7:31 left. Irvine owned the next four minutes, not giving up an Oregon State basket.

Mackey scored 10 of her team-high 19 points in that stretch, leading an 11-2 run. Irvine forced two misses on the Beavers’ next possession, but each time Oregon State got the rebound. Arnold snagged the second one and was fouled by Mackey, her fifth.