MAKAWAO, Hawaii (Interstat) — In a tense, defensive struggle decided in the final second, Jenna Villa sank a crucial free throw with two-tenths of a second remaining to lift Oregon State to a 53-51 victory over Montana State in a nonconference women’s basketball game Friday at Seabury Hall.

The game, a back-and-forth affair featuring 13 lead changes and neither team leading by more than six points, came down to a final, frantic sequence. With the score tied at 51 and 16 seconds left, Montana State’s Addison Harris was called for a foul on Villa as she drove toward the basket. Villa, a 6-foot-1 guard from Arlington, Washington, stepped to the line and calmly made the first free throw to break the tie. She intentionally missed the second, and Montana State’s Ella Johnson secured the rebound as time expired.

Villa finished with a game-high 19 points, including a critical 3-pointer with 8:25 left in the fourth quarter that gave Oregon State a 45-42 lead, its largest of the night. Her backcourt partner, Kennedie Shuler of Gresham, Oregon, orchestrated the Beavers’ offense with seven assists while adding nine points, two steals and two blocks, including a pivotal swat on a Jamison Philip layup attempt with just over five minutes to play.

Montana State, which fell to 6-4, was led by Philip’s 14 points. The Bobcats’ 6-2 center Ella Johnson of Elk River, Minnesota, added nine points, but the team’s offense stalled in the final period, managing only eight points on 3-of-15 shooting. A late 3-pointer by Taylee Chirrick with 19 seconds left had knotted the score at 51, setting the stage for Villa’s decisive trip to the line.

The contest was defined by rugged defense and offensive struggles. Oregon State’s interior presence, anchored by 6-8 Nene Sow of Brussels, Belgium, and 6-5 Lizzy Williamson of Adelaide, Australia, combined for six blocks and altered countless other shots. Sow contributed four blocks and four points, while Williamson had five points and two blocks.

Montana State built its largest lead at 26-22 late in the second quarter after a 3-pointer from Johnson, but Oregon State closed the half on a 7-2 run to take a slim 29-28 lead into the break. The third quarter saw the Bobcats surge ahead again, taking a 39-36 lead on a Philip jumper before the Beavers responded with a 7-0 run, capped by Villa’s third 3-pointer of the game, to reclaim a 43-39 advantage heading into the final quarter.

The most critical stretch of the game occurred in the final five minutes. With Oregon State leading 47-45, Shuler blocked Philip’s driving layup, and on the ensuing possession, Williamson drew a foul and hit one of two free throws to extend the lead to three. Montana State’s offense went cold, missing its next four shots and committing two turnovers over a three-minute span until Chirrick’s clutch 3-pointer finally ended the drought.

Oregon State improved to 7-5 with the win, snapping a two-game skid that included an overtime loss to Arizona State. Montana State saw its two-game winning streak end and will face a quick turnaround, playing Hawaii on Saturday. Oregon State also plays Saturday, hosting Liberty.

The game was part of a multi-team event in Hawaii, with both teams battling through shooting woes. The defensive intensity was reflected in the combined 31 turnovers and 11 blocked shots. Montana State’s Addison Harris and Kadynce Couture each scored eight points in support of Philip and Johnson. For Oregon State, Tiara Bolden of Eugene, Oregon, provided seven points and steady perimeter defense.

In the end, Villa’s poise at the line proved the difference in a game where every possession carried weight, allowing the Beavers to escape with a narrow victory in their final nonconference tune-up before West Coast Conference play begins next month.