CORVALLIS -- The road trip's beginning was almost unspeakable, its ending perhaps even more cruel.
If Oregon State's women could only forget about their lost January weekend in Los Angeles, they would. But six weeks after losing at UCLA by 35, then seeing a 17-point second-half lead disappear two days later at USC -- the first time OSU had lost consecutive games in four years -- the 15th-ranked Beavers host No. 7 UCLA and USC this weekend.
The rematches could serve as reminders of how much of a matchup problem the Bruins and Trojans' uptempo, pressure-filled offense and defenses are for OSU.