Oregon State pulls off another upset and is heading the championship

LAS VEGAS –– The 5th seed Oregon State Beavers got started quickly as they had something to prove going up against the 1st Oregon Ducks, who had beaten them just five days prior to the semifinal matchup.

OSU ran up the score by 9 points to kick off the game by creating second chances through offensive rebounds. The Ducks were missing their usual quick passing and efficient scoring, shooting just 27% in the first nine minutes of the half.

Chris Duarte had an electrifying dunk for Oregon that brought some energy back to the Duck’s game. The team, led by Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi, began a relentless drive to take control of the game and with 7:27 remaining in the first, the game was tied up at 18 a piece.

Sloppy offense plagued the Ducks with a total of five turnovers which led to 6 points for the Beavers.

UO and OSU fought hard throughout the last five minutes of the half, trading buckets and fouls as both teams entered into the bonus and 20 free throws were attempted throughout the half. 

At the end of the 20 minutes, the Beavers, led by senior guard Ethan Thompson’s 9 points, were leading the Ducks 38-28.

“Seeing the ball go through the net like that early in the game, man, I think it gave us a lift, not just myself but also the other guys as well,” Thompson said, commenting on his team’s early shooting success.

Oregon State started the second half just as quickly when Roman Silvan, Beaver senior center, hit a jumper for two which was followed by a 3-pointer from Zach Reichle to push the Beavers to a 13-point lead.

It wasn’t until LJ Figueroa went two-for-two on free throws that the Ducks began putting together sequences and earning themselves a few buckets.

OSU seemed unstoppable from deep, shooting 62 percent through the first five minutes of the half, unmatched by the Ducks’ abismal 18 percent from beyond the arc during that time.

With 12:56 left on the clock, the Beavers increased their lead, going up by 19, while the Ducks struggled to land a shot or pick up any momentum. The ball finally seemed to start going Oregon’s way as they slowly cut down Oregon State’s lead in the game with under nine minutes of play remaining. 

Oregon starting guard and team leader, Will Richardson earned himself four fouls with nearly five whole minutes left in the game. However, the Ducks were beginning to look much more like the number one seed in the tournament, fighting back to bring the Beavers’ lead within 5 points.

Despite Oregon’s valiant efforts to stage a comeback, Oregon State continually beat them to the board and performed over 30 percent better from 3-point range. The Beavers were able to hold off the Ducks and walk away with their second upset of the tournament, winning 75-64.

“We have gone through a lot, but the way these guys have continued to hang in there, support and love each other, fight through it, believe and trust in one another and look out for one another,” OSU Head Coach Wayne Tinkle said after his team’s victory. “Just really excited for our guys… couldn’t be more proud.”

OSU is heading to the Pac-12 Championship in which they will face the winner of the USC vs Colorado game later tonight. The championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.