ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 18 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
T-4: Oregon State Beavers (17-11, 9-7 Pac-12)
In one word, Oregon State’s season has been ‘historic.’ Redshirt junior Tres Tinkle is the nation’s only player to average a statline of 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and the Beavers are positioned for their best conference finish since 1993.
But if a phrase could describe last week’s trek – the team’s final homestand of the regular season – it would be ‘disheartening.’
Twice, the Beavers had an opportunity to grab the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12. Instead, close defeats to the Arizona schools capsized excitement.
Thursday’s 74-72 loss to the Wildcats ended in a buzzer-beater from Devonaire Doutrive, but it likely shouldn’t have gone that way. Oregon State led by five, 67-62, with 4:41 to go before Arizona used an 8-1 to take the lead.
Brandon Randolph then made two go-ahead jumpers, which were answered by two free throws from Tinkle and a fastbreak layup for Stephen Thompson. On the Wildcats’ last possession, the Beavers forced a bad shot from Justin Coleman, but Doutrive was left unaccounted for on the putback.
Against Arizona State, Oregon State was in a similar scenario – leading by three with 6:28 to play. The Beavers then went the next five-and-a-half minutes without a field goal, allowing the Sun Devils’ Luguentz Dort to build a four-point lead after a 3-pointer with 58 seconds left.
ASU then played keepaway, and Oregon State left with a nearly identical result to Thursday, a 74-71 defeat.
At 9-7 in Pac-12 play, the Beavers hold the tiebreaker over UCLA and Utah, two teams with the same record at No. 3. In order to lock down a top-four seed, Oregon State likely needs to at least split this week’s road trip against the Washington schools.
With such a quick turnaround (playing Sunday and then tonight), that will be a big challenge to handle.
– Booth