CORVALLIS — Scott Rueck always wanted to get his Oregon State women’s basketball program to the level at which it would compete against some of the top teams in the country.

But the Beavers’ coach knew he had to first build a team capable of taking on that challenge.

When Notre Dame was scrambling for a game to fill out its nonconference schedule for the 2013-14 season, Rueck jumped at the chance to take on one of the perennial powers in women’s college basketball; he just was not sure exactly what to expect when the Fighting Irish came to town for a late December matchup.

It turns out, it was a turning point in his building process.

“I thought it was one of the most pivotal games that we’ve played, if not the most, since I’ve been here,” Rueck said earlier this season. “Because that day our team learned that they can play with anyone. That’s what that day was.

“And not only that, it was here. So did our fans. I think it opened a lot of eyes across the country because Notre Dame was a perennial Final Four team and they were very strong that year, had a very veteran team. And we went toe to toe with them down to the last two minutes.”

The Beavers lost that game, as No. 2 Notre Dame pulled away late for a 70-58 victory. But it was a catalyst for success as the Beavers went on to finish the regular season with nine straight wins and reach the title game of the Pac-12 Tournament before losing to Southern California.

The Beavers then went on to win a game in their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 18 seasons.

Since then, the Beavers have scheduled road games against top-10 teams North Carolina and Tennessee, as well as a road rematch with No. 3 Notre Dame today. The Irish are expected to make a return trip to Corvallis in two years.

“With this team and the players we’ve been able to recruit, they want challenges,” Rueck said. “That’s what fuels them. They’re bored if there’s no challenge in front of them. Not bored, but you know what I mean. That’s what fuels this team. They’re very competitive.

“So I knew they would handle the Notre Dame game well. I knew North Carolina (last year) would be fuel, that it would be a positive experience and then throw Tennessee on top of that. A year ago, I knew those would be things they would rise to the challenge, they want that. And I felt like we could handle it. We’re going to learn a lot one way or the other.”

The Beavers have already played No. 14 Tennessee at home this season, a 53-50 loss Dec. 19. They lost starting point guard Sydney Wiese in that game to a hand injury that will keep her out indefinitely.

Still, the Beavers (9-1) expect nothing less than being competitive today in South Bend, Indiana, and to battle for a win against the Fighting Irish (10-1), whose only loss was at No. 1 Connecticut.

Whatever happens, Rueck knows the Beavers will see exactly where they are at before heading into Pac-12 play at the end of the week.

“That tells you where you need to go to if you want make another run at a conference title,” he said.