McWilliams FTs lift OSU women to 70-68 win over Gamecocks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Katie McWilliams sank two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to give No. 9 Oregon State a 70-68 win over 13th-ranked South Carolina in the semifinals of the Vancouver Showcase on Friday night.
McWilliams and Taya Corosdale led the Beavers (6-0) with 14 points apiece while Mikayla Pivec added 11. Te’a Cooper paced the Gamecocks (3-2) with 21 points and Alexis Jennings furnished 12.
Oregon State led 37-29 at the half after Destiny Slocum drained a shot from half court at the buzzer.
“It’s the coaching,” Oregon State coach Scott Rueck joked with fans after the game when asked for his thoughts on the buzzer-beater.
The Beavers extended the lead to 61-46 on a 3-pointer by Kat Tudor with 6:32 left before the Gamecocks rallied.
Cooper’s 3-pointer with 25 seconds left tied the game at 68.
Following a timeout, Slocum tried to set up a final shot in the closing seconds, but she slipped near center court while being guarded closely, retrieved the ball while on the floor and sent a high pass to McWilliams for an alley-oop. But she was fouled while going up for the ball, setting the stage for final two decisive free throws.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon State: The Beavers continue to shows signs of being able to move up in the rankings.
South Carolina: With the loss, the Gamecocks hurt their chances of moving back into the top 10.
UP NEXT
Oregon State will play No. 1 Notre Dame in Saturday’s championship contest.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks will meet Drake on Saturday in the game to decide the tourney’s third-place finisher.
