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CORVALLIS, Ore. --- Portland senior Cassandra Brown scored 18 points and fellow senior Kari Luttinen added 12 during the season opener at No. 21 Oregon State, but the Beavers would prevail 87-65 over the Pilots at Gill Coliseum on Friday afternoon. UP freshman Sara Zaragoza was solid in her collegiate debut, finishing with 10 points.
 
The Beavers (1-0) opened the game red hot from the field, hitting their first four three-pointers. Oregon State also went down low to 6-foor-6 Ruth Hamblin, who scored 10 early points to allow the Beavers to claim a double-digit lead.
 
The Pilots (0-1) would try to hang around and senior Jasmine Wooton helped stem the OSU momentum when she converted a three-point play on a tough baseline lay-up 12 minutes in. Zaragoza was also active in the first half, connecting on four free throws before hitting a baby hook on a nice post move in the middle of the key.
 
Brown then started to heat up from the field, hitting an angle three before dropping another from long-range as the Pilots made a quick 12-2 run.  
 
Brown had a team-high 10 points at the half and Wooton and Zaragoza each had six points as the Beavers held a 52-32 lead.
 
Oregon State would then score the first 11 points after the break to jump out to its biggest lead of the game. The Pilots though would refuse to falter, and Brown continued to knock down three's. Luttinen would also come alive in the second half, slicing down the lane for a handful of lay-ups, including a traditional three-point play with less than 12 minutes remaining.
 
Luttinen continued to give Oregon State trouble and freshman Ashley Gray would crash the glass as the Pilots were still within reach at 71-50 with about 10 minutes left.
 
Minutes later Wooton made it a 20-point deficit with a pair of free throws, but the Beavers would make enough stops and hit enough field goals down the stretch to hold on for the win. Hamblin finished with a game-high 20 points to lead four Beavers in double figures.
 
Brown just missed a double-double with eight rebounds, and Wooton finished with eight points.
 
The Pilots shot 37.0 percent (20-for-55) overall, hit five three-pointers and went 19 of 25 at the free throw line. The Beavers were 34-for-70 (48.6 percent) from the floor, connected on nine of 20 three's and were just 10-for-17 from the line. OSU took care of the ball, committing just seven turnovers.
 
The game was the first for first-year Portland head coach Cheryl Sorenson, who replaced long-time head coach Jim Sollars in April. Sollars retired at the end of last season after 28 years at the helm of the Pilots.
 
Next up for the Pilots is a trip to Northridge, Calif., to face the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Friday, Nov. 21. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.