Oregon State vs Colorado: 3 Keys To Victory

With the Oregon State men's basketball team (16-12) set to take on 23rd-ranked Colorado (22-7) in the Championship Game of the Pac-12 Tournament, BeaversEdge.com gives three keys to victory.

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1. Play With Confidence

With the Oregon State men's basketball team just one win away from earning the Pac-12's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, it all comes down to the Pac-12 Tournament Championship against Colorado.

The Beavers, who have defeated UCLA and Oregon the past two days in the tournament, need to come out with the same fire and intensity that they brought in those two contests.

While they started slowly against the Bruins, the Beavers came out firing and looking like they were the better team from the jump against Oregon and they need to channel that some energy again tonight.

OSU can't let the pressure of the moment get to them, otherwise, they'll press, force shots, and not play with the same looseness that has gotten them this far. If they go out and play like they're capable of, they'll be right in the mix to earn this win.

Even though the Buffaloes took both regular-season matchups between the two teams, the Beavers aren't fazed and see this as an opportunity to finally get the CU monkey off their backs.

2. Force Colorado To Take Tough Shots

With Colorado entering the contest on a six-game win streak, there's no question that the Beavers will have to bring a gameplan that significantly can alter the flow and rhythm of this Buffs' team.

Colorado's last two losses came on Feb. 13th against Cal (71-62) & Feb. 18th vs Oregon (60-56) where the Buffs were held well below their season averages in points, field goal %, and three-point percentage.

Simply put, the Beavers need to replicate their defensive gameplan against the Ducks and bring that same aggression on that side of the floor to make life difficult on the Colorado playmakers.

The Beavers boast the best three-point defense in the Pac-12, allowing just 31% from behind-the-arc, and if they can force Colorado to take contested jump shots, they'll be in a good position to keep the game within their grasp.

3. Force Colorado To Play Your Game

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Beavers' win over Oregon was the fact that they forced the Ducks to play at their pace throughout the contest. Unlike the matchup in the regular-season finale where UO was able to force OSU into playing their game, the Beavers thoroughly controlled the script of the contest.

If the Beavers want to knock off the Buffs in the championship game, they'll need to follow a similar path.

In the two teams' first meeting of the year, a blowout Colorado win, the Buffs were able to get whatever they wanted from the floor as they shot 56% from the floor and ran away with a 78-49 victory when the Beavers were coming off a days rest.

More recently, the two teams met in Corvallis on Feb. 20th, a game where the contest was a lot different. While the Buffs still earned the victory, the Beavers played much, much better as they kept pace with CU and played more within themselves in a 61-57 defeat.

For the Beavers to win this time around, they'll need to take that performance against the Buffs in Gill Coliseum and take it to the next level. If they can get a balanced scoring effort, not allow the Buffs to get hot from the field and go on a big run, they'll be in a great position to earn a trip to the postseason.