SAN DIEGO — Visiting Oregon State used a dominant first quarter and a decisive fourth to pull away from San Diego, 83-49, Thursday evening at Jenny Craig Pavilion in West Coast Conference women's basketball action. The loss drops the Toreros to 9-21 overall and 3-14 in the WCC, while Oregon State improved to 21-9 and 13-4.

The Beavers wasted little time establishing control, outscoring USD 26-12 in the opening period behind sharp ball movement and a 10-for-17 clip from the field. The Toreros struggled offensively out of the gate, committing seven turnovers in the quarter alone, and trailed by 14 heading into the second.

San Diego showed resilience early in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to single digits on back-to-back buckets from Olivia Owens before Jessica Ajayi connected on a three-pointer to pull the Toreros within seven at 28-21. Oregon State steadied itself and rebuilt the lead to 40-27 by halftime, but the Toreros' fight in that stretch offered a glimpse of their capability.

USD continued to battle in the third, with Ajayi again providing a spark off the bench — including a three-pointer and a fast-break layup — to keep San Diego within striking distance.

The Toreros trailed 61-43 heading into the final frame, but the fourth quarter proved to be the difference. A combination of foul trouble, a team technical foul, and continued offensive struggles limited USD to just six points in the period as Oregon State extended the margin with 11 bench points and an efficient 7-for-12 shooting stretch.

Despite the final score, the Toreros showed moments of defensive toughness, recording nine steals on the night. Dresha Moore was a disruptive force inside, finishing with two blocks and two steals in 19 minutes off the bench. Kylie Ray was active at both ends, dishing four assists and picking up two steals while matching her eight-point total with Owens and Hallie Rhodes.

NOTABLE

• Olivia Owens led all scorers for USD with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting, adding seven rebounds and a steal in 31 minutes.
• Hallie Rhodes contributed 8 points, two rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes, providing consistent floor leadership.
• Kylie Ray matched Rhodes with 8 points and added a game-high 4 assists along with 2 steals.
• Jessica Ajayi came off the bench to score 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three, with 2 steals in 24 minutes.
• Dresha Moore was a defensive presence with 2 blocks and 2 steals to go with 2 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
• Oregon State's Kennedie Shuler led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting; Tiara Bolden added 17 points.

UP NEXT
San Diego closes out the regular season Saturday, February 28 with a 2 p.m. tip against Pacific inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The contest will serve as Senior Day, as the Toreros honor their outgoing players in what will be the final home game of the 2025-26 season. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.