CORVALLIS - An up-and-down first three quarters Friday afternoon marked an inauspicious start to the Oregon State women's basketball season, but the Beavers pulled away in the final frame for a 65-55 victory over North Dakota behind stellar performances from two key returners.
North Dakota, which finished second in the Big Sky last season, presented a formidable challenge for an OSU team playing its first regular season contest without the winningest senior class in program history.
"It's a great start for us," OSU head coach Scott Rueck said. "It's exactly what we needed: a test that we can learn a lot from and grow from, because this team is going to get better and better throughout the rest of our season.