Tiara Bolden stands at the free throw line, preparing to make her second shot. She releases, and the ball rattles around the rim before falling in the hoop as 7, 500 elementary schoolers erupt in screaming as OSU’s score turns to 67, a viral meme. This was one of the day’s loudest moments as the Oregon State University Women’s Basketball team beat Utah State University 71-52 in Gill Coliseum for the annual field trip game on Tuesday. In a game where the Beavs were never behind, four OSU players scored in double digits. They were led by guard Bolden, who scored 23 points the third game in a row where she scored over 20 points. Bolden also racked up 11 boards for her first double-double with Oregon State. “Us as a team, we know that (Bolden)’s been hot,” guard Jenna Villa said. “Just letting her do her thing, honestly. I mean, she gets it done and so then we get our chance after. I mean, we just play team basketball.” Head Coach Scott Rueck agreed that Bolden has the ability to produce offensively and help her teammates. “I love the way that she’s getting to her best stuff,” Rueck said. “She’s such a student of the game that she’s getting to her money. You go from a shooter to a scorer to a playmaker, and she’s on the cusp of that playmaker role.” Villa was effective herself, scoring 10 points and leading the team in assists with four. Her performance included an ankle-breaking drive in the paint to score followed by a full-court lob to center Nene Sow. “I just had it in my mind that they kind of had gone on a little run,” Villa said, referencing a 10-0 Aggie run near the end of the first half. “They brought it close and I knew that I could take advantage of my defender at that time, so just always attacking the X.” The Aggies shared the rock, but no player scored more than nine points. One of Utah State’s strongest areas was in forcing turnovers, causing 20 for OSU. Some of these turnovers came from the Aggies’ 14 steals, while others came from pressure in full court and three-quarter court presses. “I give Utah State a ton of credit for just competing like crazy and battling back, making it a game,” Rueck said. “I was really pleased with the way we separated, our defense got a little better in the second half.” These turnovers were a low part of OSU’s defense and overall game. However, their defensive rebounds and defense in the paint told a different story. Sow was instrumental in OSU’s defense. She marked 12 defensive rebounds out of her 15 total five away from the school’s rebounding record in a game. She also scored 11 points to log her first double-double of the season. Beyond individual players, OSU’s superior shooting as a whole helped them take the win. The Beavs shot 47. 5% from the floor while the Aggies shot 34. 4%. OSU also was able to make seven free throws through nine attempts, while Utah State only connected on one shot from the stripe. The stands were packed with children who never ran out of energy, cheering and dancing for every score, rebound, steal and block the Beavs made. The game had by far the highest attendance out of the four games this season so far for OSU. “It was just so much fun,” Sow said. “I could tell that everybody was here for us and supporting us.” Utah State will be joining the Pac-12 in the 2026-27 season along with Oregon State. “It’s only going to get better and better,” Rueck said. “So I’ve been really pleased with just our overall execution and where our minds are, where the team is through four games. I don’t think they could ask for a whole lot more.” The Beavs will continue their homestand at 6 p. m. on Friday when they take on the undefeated Colorado State Rams at Gill Coliseum.
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Beavs stay hot against Utah State
