CORVALLIS - The Oregon State women's basketball team will have its final dress rehearsal today when it meets Lewis & Clark College in a 4 p.m. exhibition game at Gill Coliseum.

The Beavers, who crushed Concordia 113-35 on Nov. 2 in their other exhibition appearance, open the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday against Cal Poly, also at Gill Coliseum. Coach LaVonda Wagner said there's much work to be done before the Mustangs come to town.

"We need to get better at every position, in our defensive schemes, guarding screens, guarding balls, getting help, taking charges and getting the ball back," said Wagner, who always preaches that excellent, aggressive defense often leads to easy baskets on offense.

The Beavers had 30 assists on 38 baskets, shot 55 percent from the field and 48 percent on 3-pointers and seven players scored in double figures against the Cavaliers, who then lost 63-53 to Portland on Nov. 4.

But Wagner said the Beavers must be much sharper because the level of competition will increase significantly once OSU starts playing Division I opposition.

"Our offensive execution has to come out sharp, understand how to set people up and create for a teammate, as well as ourselves," she said. "Little things that are going to take game and practice experience."

First-year players combined for 48 points for the Beavers against Concordia, led by guards Haiden Palmer (20) and Kate Lanz (16) and forward Tayler Champion (12).

"It's definitely a confidence-builder for them," said junior guard Talisa Rhea, who scored a game-high 23 points.

"They show what they've been doing in practice and what they did in the offseason, coming here and working with us" over the summer.

"It's starting to pay off. The are going to keep getting better every game and every day in practice. We have things to work on, it's a growing process.

"But it's definitely a good start for them and we'll look to build off of that."

A Division III team from the Northwest Conference, Lewis & Clark was 11-14 in 2008 and lost 98-36 to the Beavers in an exhibition.

Christina Herring, a 5-foot-6 junior guard, averaged 10 points a game in 2008 and is their top returning scorer.

The Pioneers played scrimmages against British Columbia, Simon Fraser and Victoria and a regulation game against Vancouver Island University on an Oct. 8-11 trip to British Columbia.

They defeated VIU 71-64 behind 16 points and six rebounds from senior forward Talerra Rich; Herring added 11 points.