Oregon State Opens PK Legacy Against No. 9 Iowa

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon State will open the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament with its first game against a ranked foe when it takes on No. 9 Iowa on Friday at the Chiles Center.   
 
The Beavs will take on the Hawkeyes at 5:30 p.m. in their first nationally televised game of the year. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Pam Ward and newly announced Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White on the call.
 
GAME INFO
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Chiles Center
Watch: ESPNU
Listen: Beaver Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: oregonstate.statbroadcast.com
Social Media: @BeaverWBB
 
MEET THE OPPONENT
The Hawkeyes enter the PK Legacy at 4-1 with the nation's No. 9 ranking. Iowa is led by Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Caitlin Clark and preseason All-Big Ten choice Monika Czinano. They will test Oregon State's defense with an offense that has scored 80+ points in four of their five games this season. The Hawkeyes were tested in their last three games with an overtime win at Drake, a one-point loss to Kansas State and a 73-62 win over a pesky Belmont team that made the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.
 
DEFENSIVE GAMECHANGER
Bendu Yeaney's arrival in Corvallis gives the Beavers a powerful on-ball defender they haven't had since the days of Gabby Hansen. Yeaney, a transfer from Arizona, has racked up 19 three-steal games over the last two seasons with her team going 13-6 in those contests. The senior has also had at least one steal and one block in 39 games in her career. Her team is 31-8 in those games.
 
CERTIFIED BUCKET-GETTER
Talia von Oelhoffen joined an exclusive list of Rueck-era Beavers when she scored 31 points against USC last season. Only six other Beavs have scored 30+ over the last 12 seasons: Jamie Weisner, Marie Gulich, Aleah Goodman, Ruth Hamblin, Kat Tudor and Destiny Slocum. After scoring 32 against EWU on Thursday, von Oelhoffen is the first Beaver under Rueck to score 30+ twice in her career.
 
MICROWAVE SCORER
After a year of development behind the Ellie Mack, sophomore AJ Marotte is ready to take on a bigger role in 2022-23. The Texan scored into double-digits in two games last season and has passed that total already this year double-figure scoring in all four games. Marotte has also averaged 7 rebounds per game.
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLES ON TAP
Raegan Beers wasted little time making her mark on the floor, racking up double-doubles in her second and third college games. Beers is one of just three true freshmen with two double-doubles in their first three games this season. She is also the only true freshman in the Power 6 to score 20 points in a double-double this season.
 
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).