Jenna Villa sank seven clutch free throws in overtime to help lift the Oregon State Beavers over the Gonzaga Bulldogs 92-87 in Corvallis Thursday night.
Villa, a junior, finished with 31 points, including 15 free throws made.
The victory puts Oregon State atop the West Coast Conference standings. Each of the teams entered Thursday night’s contest with 6-1 conference records.
Oregon State (15-6, 7-1) now takes sole possession of first place. Gonzaga (14-7, 6-2) dropped to third, a half-game behind Santa Clara.
Junior Kennedie Shuler of Gresham tied Oregon State’s single-game steals record with 10 pilfers, according to the school.
In their past four meetings, Oregon State and Gonzaga are separated by just eight points. The budding rivals will play again on Feb. 5.
Both teams are slated to join the restructured Pac-12 Conference in 2026.
Oregon State’s next game is Thursday, Jan. 29 against San Diego.
