5 thoughts about Oregon State's big Civil War win
The Oregon State men's basketball team won a huge game in Gill Coliseum as they knocked off the Ducks 76-64 in the Civil War. BeaversEdge.com gives five thoughts about the big win below!
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1. What a win for the Beavers. Oregon State sits at 10-5 on the season, already doubling last year's abysmal win total, and the Beavs are just getting things started. OSU was embarrassed by the Ducks last season, losing both contests by at least 20 points, but the up and coming Beavers got the best of their in-state rivals on Friday night in front of a rocking Gill Coliseum crowd. Coulda-woulda-shoulda, but this Oregon State team could be 3-0 in conference play if they were able to get past Utah in what was a close ballgame. Either way, Oregon State basketball is back after the Civil War win.
2. Tres Tinkle willed Oregon State to victory. He is always the key to this Oregon State basketball team's success. Offensively, Tinkle is OSU's best weapon, and he was great on Friday night. Tinkle only had four points in the first half but exploded for 15 points in the second half, and he finished the night with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. He only knocked down one of four three-point attempts, but Tinkle got the job done scoring the ball in the paint. He was a magician with his footwork around the rim. Defensively, Tinkle is just as important to this basketball team as he is offensively (see point #3).
3. Beavs get it done on the boards. With Gligore Rakocevic out with an injury, Drew Eubanks was the only true big man on the floor for the Beavers. Oregon State had to be scrappy on the glass, and they certainly got the job done -- exceeding my expectations. The Beavs out-rebounded Oregon 46-36 and were especially good on the glass in the second half. Back to Tinkle -- because OSU had to play small ball, Tinkle stepped up by grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. He was very, very good on the glass, which was a big reason why the Beavers were able to win.
4. Seth Berger gave Oregon State a big second half spark. UMASS grad transfer Seth Berger didn't do a whole lot in the first half, scoring 5 points, but he had a big second half. Berger finished with a season high 12 points and knocked down 5-of-7 from the free throw line. He also supplied five rebounds and three assists. He helped sparked an Oregon State run to give them their first double digit lead of the game, a lead that Oregon couldn't recover from. Berger's spark included a steal and layup on the other end, and-one bucket after an offensive rebounds, and just playing gritty all over the place.
5. Oregon State just played harder. Oregon is probably the more talented team and will be favored when the 350th men's hoops Civil War occurs in Eugene on January 27. But tonight, Oregon State definitely wanted the game more and it was evident from the tip. I loved Alfred Hollins' defensive tenacity in the first half, which halted Oregon's weapons to get in any groove from three-point rage. The Beavs shot an excellent 53% from the field compared to a poor 34% from the Ducks. They limited UO's leading scorer Payton Pritchard to just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting.
