By NEWS SERVICE REPORTS
SEATTLE — A year ago, Oregon State was an upstart program on the verge of becoming a new powerhouse in the West, only to fall flat in both the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournaments.
Toughened by those failings of a year ago, No. 8 Oregon State rolled to its first Pac-12 Tournament title on Sunday night in part because of a confidence that was absent in the past.
“There was just a different kind of confidence and swagger about them,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “There was no fear.”
Sydney Wiese scored 18 of her 21 points in the first half while Oregon State built a 27-point lead and Ruth Hamblin added 23 points and a career-high 20 rebounds in a 69-57 win over No.