The Oregon State women’s basketball team is off to a 6-0 start this season, the Beavers’ best since they won 15 straight to open the 2019-20 season.

The mood is positive as the team prepares to play its last two home games before heading to Hawaii for the annual tournament.

“This is the most fun I’ve had playing with anybody in a long time. It’s super fun to be where we’re at, six and 0 right now is an awesome feeling,” guard AJ Marotte said after the Beavers’ 76-52 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday.

Marotte scored a career-high 23 points in the win and made a career-high five 3-pointers.

Coach Scott Rueck said Marotte played a key role early in the game with her shooting.

“I thought AJ just set the tone by knocking shots down from the beginning. A career-high today was very impressive and needed,” Rueck said.

Marotte, a junior, has started all six games this season and her all-around game fits well alongside forward Raegan Beers, the team’s leading scorer, and fellow junior Talia von Oelhoffen, the team’s most experienced guard.

Marotte, a 6-foot-1 wing, has the athleticism to defend on the perimeter, has experience in the system and knows where she is supposed to be.

On offense, she has a strong all-around game. She is great in transition, can handle the ball but also moves well without it — she is one of the team’s best backdoor cutters — and has a nearly automatic mid-range jump shot.

“Everybody loves seeing that mid-range jump shot that AJ puts down,” Rueck said.

This year she is also knocking down 3-pointers. Marotte made about 30% of her shots from beyond the arc in her first two seasons. So far this season she is 10 for 22 (46%) from deep.

After the win over the Lady Toppers, Marotte gave much of the credit to von Oelhoffen.

“Talia was making great drives and leaving me wide open on the opposite side,” Marotte said.

Von Oelhoffen has thrived in her role as a distributor this season. She has 26 assists with 10 turnovers through the first six games.

Rueck said von Oelhoffen did a good job leading the offense against Western Kentucky’s zone defense. Her ability to manipulate defenders created good looks for the offense as a whole, not just Marotte.

Rueck described von Oelhoffen as “a coach on the floor.”

“She really is. I’m having a lot of fun with Talia because her mind is that of a coach. She gets it, always has,” Rueck said.

Marotte also pointed out the importance of the team’s depth this season. Ten players are averaging at least 12 minutes of playing time per game.

But that depth isn’t just useful during games, it is invaluable in the team’s practices, which Marotte says are extremely competitive.

“We have a deep bench and you see that in practice. We’re competing really well against each other so getting out on the court and seeing everybody execute and go and do what they do is really special, so it’s going to be a great season,” Marotte said.

Perhaps because of those intense practices, Oregon State has shown progress in one of its problem areas the past couple of seasons.

Turnovers have been an issue for the team but there has been improvement in that area early this season. The team is averaging 11.7 turnovers per game, down from 14.7 per game last year and 15.1 per game the year before.

The team is also averaging nearly 21 assists per game, just short of the two-to-one ratio coaches like to see.

Freshman guard Donovyn Hunter has been a big part of that improvement. Her decision-making ability is advanced for a player who has played just six collegiate games. She has recorded 23 assists with just three turnovers.

Rueck thinks ball movement has been one of the reasons for the team’s strong start.

“We’ve always been known for that. Very unselfish. Weapons everywhere. Inside presence with shooters everywhere on the outside. That’s Beaver basketball,” Rueck said.