Noelle Mannen hit a free throw with 0.4 seconds remaining, helping the Oregon State Beavers open the 2022-23 women’s basketball season with a 61-60 win over Hawaii Monday night at Gill Coliseum.
Scrambling for a loose ball with the clock about to hit zero, Mannen was fouled on the floor by Hawaii’s Daejah Phillips. Mannen missed the first free throw, but hit the second to provide the winning margin.
The foul wasn’t initially called on the floor, but officials administered it after reviewing the play on a replay monitor.
A.J. Marotte recorded 16 points and seven rebounds, Talia von Oelhoffen scored 14 points and Lily Hansford added 11 to lead Oregon State (1-0). The Beavers were shorthanded, as potential starters Bendu Yeaney and Timea Gardiner missed the game with undisclosed injuries.
The Beavers rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit to pull out the win. Trailing 58-57, von Oelhoffen had a three-point play with 1:16 left to give OSU the lead. Hawaii tied the game at 60-60 with 24 seconds left, setting the stage for the Beavers’ game-winner.
Hawaii, the Big West Conference preseason favorite, used three-point shooting as its primary weapon. The Rainbow Wahine hit 12 three-pointers, including four by Phillips.
The Beavers started slow, but rebounded by halftime to earn a 30-30 tie.
The Rainbow Wahine were on fire early, hitting their first five three-pointers to take an 18-6 lead. The Beavers’ defense began to dig in, shutting out Hawaii for more than a five-minute stretch. That allowed Hansford time to get cooking. The freshman guard hit three three-pointers as Hawaii went cold, the last one giving OSU a 23-22 lead.
Hawaii rallied to take a 30-23 lead, but the Beavers closed out the half by scoring the final seven points to take a tie into locker room.
Led by Marotte, Oregon State took command early in the third quarter. Marotte hit her first three shots, including a pair of threes, to stake the Beavers to a 40-36 lead. The advantage swelled to as much as 10 points before Hawaii cut the deficit to 48-44 by quarter’s end.
Oregon State led by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, but the veteran Rainbow Wahine rallied with an 11-0 run to take a 57-54 lead.
Next up: Oregon State hosts Seattle at 6 p.m. Thursday at Gill Coliseum.
— Nick Daschel reported from Corvallis.
