Oregon State has had a tough time in Women’s Basketball. LaVonda Wagner is beginning her 4th season with the Beavers trying to turn the program around. With a below average, for the PAC 10, recruiting class and the loss through graduation of leading scorer Ashley Allen, this season does not appear to be what Wagner had hoped her 4th year would be. On the other hand, Oregon State under Wagner has usually been quite competitive and able to score points.
At Center will be the twosome of 6-2 Sr Tiffany Ducker and 6-4 Soph Alex Mitchell. They offer good scoring and rebounding but really need to step up their defense. Ducker (who really should be playing for the Ducks) averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds per game, Mitchell, 4 points and 4 rebounds. They played together at times last season.
At the 4 position could be 6-1 JR Stacey Nichols who started most of her games here. A bit of a mismatch as she is not a strong rebounder or scorer, averaging 2 points and 3 rebounds per game. And like last year it is likely Oregon State will play a 3 Guard line-up. Other candidates are JC transfer, 6-3 Anita Burdick, 6-3 Soph Brittany Eskridge or 6-1 frosh Kristen Tilleman.
Burdick averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds as a JC Soph and lesser numbers as a frosh, but in High School she was All State in Nevada. Burdick holds her High School records with 46 points and 26 rebounds in a single game. Eskridge played only 5 minutes per game as a Frosh. Tilleman was the Gatorade Player of the year the past two seasons, over Tinkle, so that speaks highly of her. Tilleman was also the State Triple Jump Champ for 2 years and a past Gatorade soccer Player of the Year.
The starting Point Guard will be returning 3rd team All League Mercedes Fox-Griffin. She’s a 5-7 SR who averaged 4.8 Assists per game last year, 2nd in the league and 6.4 the year before to lead the league. Mercedes averaged 8 points per game, without hitting a single three pointer. She’ll give strong leadership to a team that has only 3 Seniors.
The other two Guards in the Three Guard Line-up will be 5-10 Sr Brittney Davis and All Frosh 5-11 Soph Talisa Rhea. Davis averaged 13 points per game although hit only 22 three’s at a 32 % rate. Rhea on the other hand averaged 10 points per game, finishing 3rd in Three Points made, 67, and 5th in Three Point percentage, 37 %.
Only one other experienced back up Guard returns, 5-8 Jr Julie Futch who averaged almost 3 points per game. However two good Frosh will give the Beavers backcourt depth. Kassandra McAlister redshirted last year for family reasons. She’s from Mitty High School and was an outstanding scorer there. She teamed with Oklahoma’s Danielle Robinson to form one of the Nations best backcourts in High School two years ago. 5-7 Frosh Brittany Kennedy will back up Fox-Griffin at the Point Guard position.
Arkansas and North Carolina are the toughest of the Beavers pre-season foes, otherwise a light schedule. However once the Conference season starts Oregon State will be in tough company, fighting to finish at the top of the PAC 10’s second division.
Stanford connections are Fox-Griffin who played in High School with Candice Wiggins, and Stacy Nichols, a High School teammate of JJ Hones.
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