OSU Coach Scott Rueck โQuestions Future of Oregon Rivalry After Wednesday’s Contest
EUGENE, Ore. – โ Oregon State women’s โขbasketballโข coach โฃScott rueck indicated Wednesdayโฃ he would prefer the Beavers discontinue โคtheir non-conference rivalry games with the University of Oregon, citing the disruption caused by conference realignment and a desire to stabilize the program. The statement โcame after Oregon defeated Oregon โState 83-77 in a tightly contested game at Matthewโ Knight โArena.
Rueckโ acknowledged the historical importanceโฃ of the in-state rivalry, but expressed concern about maintaining its meaning amidst theโฃ changing college basketball landscape. “I think โขit should just โคbe put on hold for a minuteโค as we’re recalibrating,”โฃ Rueck said. “Obviously going fromโ the same conference to different conferences. โคThere’s too muchโ unrestโ rightโข now in โฃour world that we’re trying to stabilize to enter back into somethingโข that’sโ beenโค so special for so long for those of us who’ve been a part of it our entire life.”
The game featured standout performances from both sides.Oregon’s Endyia Rogersโค lead all scorers โคwith 23 โขpoints and 14 โassists, while Oregonโ State’s Jenna โVillaโ posted a career-high 27 points.
Despite a competitive second half, Rueck pointedโ to recent tournament results โข- Oregon’s first-round win over Vanderbiltโค (88-66) last year, a โคteam that previously defeated Oregon Stateโค 88-66 in โthe โParadise Jam tournament -โฃ as evidence of a growing competitive gap. “It’s not thatโข OSU can’t โcompete with teams of vanderbilt or Oregon’s caliberโฆ It’sโ about preserving โsomethingโ meaningful while the gap is wider than it’sโข ever been,” he explained.
Several players had connections to the state of Oregon. OSU’s Tiara Bolden is from Eugene, โขand teammate Kennedie Shuler, aโค former star at Sam Barlow High School in portland, made her secondโ career appearance in Eugene. Villa, โคa Washington State transfer, previously competed against Rogers on the high school circuit in โฃWashington.
Notably, Oregon’s Rogers isโค represented โขby Klutch sports, LeBron james’ โagency, and was once a recruit for Oregon State, โคwith staff reportedly โpossessing โphotos of her in beavers gear. Rueckโ stated that, were it his decision, he “probably would’ve gone somewhere else โwith this game.” He suggested revisiting the rivalry “in a few โฃyears” after the program has “get[ten] our bearings back” and is โคready to “re-up.”
