CORVALLIS – As Oregon State men’s basketball has struggled through a 14-game losing streak, the team has often faced double-digit deficits down the stretch.
Thursday marked an exception during a 60-52 loss to Colorado. The Beavers fell behind by 11 points more than midway through the second half but used a 9-0 rally spurred on by sophomores Drew Eubanks and Gligorije Rakocevic to get back in the game. They eventually worked the score to a 52-52 tie with 2:10 to play.
But OSU (4-23, 0-14 Pac-12) could not bring that momentum into the final mintues. The team went scoreless, missing its last three shots and committing two turnovers on its last five offensive possessions.
Meanwhile, Colorado (16-11, 6-8) went 2 of 2 from the field, 3 of 4 from the free throw line, blocked two shots and forced a steal during the final 8-0 run.
If the Buffs were unfazed by the late Oregon State charge, it may have been because of their experience advantage in close games. They infamously lost four games by three points or less during a seven-game Pac-12 losing streak, but also pulled away in tight games against Xavier, Eastern Washington and Oregon.
The Beavers have lost 10 league games by double digits.
But when asked about the difference in close-game experience, Colorado coach Tad Boyle used the opportunity to praise the direction he believes Oregon State is heading despite a disastrous season.
“I think our guys believe,” Boyle said. “We have experience and we’ve got a lot of seniors. They’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores out there. I don’t if they believe or not, but I can tell you this about Oregon State: number one, they’re getting better. And number two, next year, they’re going to be a team to be reckoned with what they have coming in.
“Ethan Thompson’s coming in. Tres (Tinkle) will be off his injury. … Those two big kids – (Gligorije) Rakocevic just keeps getting better and better. Drew Eubanks is one of the best big guys in our league. They’re going to be good next year and I think this year they’ve gotten better. It doesn’t show in their record but I got a lot of respect for Oregon State and what they’ve been through.”
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In the aftermath of another defeat, OSU coach Wayne Tinkle twice brought up the lack of “breaks” that had gone his team’s way. When asked to elaborate, he established frustration over foul calls he felt were not correctly distributed at each end.
“We got called for three offensive fouls on illegal screens,” Tinkle said. “And I’m watching their guys run right through our guys and wrap them right around the waist. That’s illegal to get through the screen. I don’t know how you can call an illegal screen but you can’t call that. Or when a guy’s cutting to go get the ball and they wrap him around the waist. Freedom of movement. It’s supposed to be an automatic.
“That was a really good crew tonight I thought. By and large, their experience, they did a good job. It just seems like you earn your breaks and we’re not earning them I guess.”
Tinkle also said officials often correctly did not call fouls when Oregon State guards drove to the basket and tried to initiate contact by looking to “throw something up.”
“It’s not a foul,” he said. “And our guys still won’t come to jump stops, pump fake to try to draw a foul or drop it off.”
Thursday marked the 13th time in 14 Pac-12 games that an opponent shot more free throws than Oregon State. Colorado went 11 of 16 from the line, while the Beavers finished 8 of 10.
Tres Tinkle, who averaged more than twice as many free throw attempts per 100 possessions as anyone on the roster, has been out since breaking his right wrist on Nov. 25.
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— Danny Moran
dmoran@oregonian.com
@DannyJMoran
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