Side notes to this fantastic story:
- This was my first season look at Oregon State, and it was fascinating. They have one player who is 6-feet and six more who are 6-foot-3 and over, so the paint is almost always completely boxed out. They had 51 rebounds yesterday.
Strangely, though they can finish at the rim, they look even better from the two- and three-point line. Talk about multiple weapons. I asked coach Scott Rueck about that post-game, which is where his comments about being good in all categories came from.
But what struck me even more was the way Beaver players worked together. They seem to flow like extensions of one another, and rarely does it seem like a player doesn’t know where she should be on court. They know whom to get it to, and when. It’s quite a sight to behold.
- Player comments on Rueck:
Sydney Wiese: “He’s always so smart, always preparing for the game. He’s all in for us, and to know that he cares for us both as players and as people, it’s just incredible. He has our backs and I trust him with everything that I am. I know he’s going to help us reach our full potential.”
Jamie Weisner: “He’s tough on us and always pushing us to our full potential. Sometimes that’s hard to hear, but it’s always out of love. He wants what’s best for us.”
It reminds me of what players say about Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb and CSUN coach Jason Flowers.
- The Bruins play hard and have got better since the last time I saw them in December. Some still get mixed up as to where they should be on offense, but it’s coming along. They have much potential, and coach Cori Close has the years and years of experience that will get them there.
- Oregon State is highly-ranked, but I was the only reporter there to interview them post-game, which is why this is the only substantial story you will see on this game. Isn’t that sad?
This is why I insist on doing what I do. Women’s basketball is a tremendous sport, and I will forever run that flag up the pole.
Even if I’m the only one.
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