Oregon St. Beavers @ Arizona St. Sun Devils GameThread, Jan 8, 2009 7:30 PM PST

Open Thread: OSU at ASU

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 6:20 PM PST in Men's Basketball Comment 63 comments

Oregon St. Beavers @ Arizona St. Sun Devils

Pregame: The Beavers are in the desert tonight for a showdown with No. 20 Arizona State. The FSN telecast will conflict with the BCS National Championship Game (Florida vs. Oklahoma) on FOX, but those with a "recall" button on their remote (all of you, right) or "Picture in Picture" should have no excuse to watch both games. And if you're so inclined, stop by BtD during the game to show some love in the comment section. Keys to the game:

Keep Improving: The win over USC was huge, and we don't need a letdown now. Build on Sunday's win.
Execute: Clearly, the offense and defense was working down the stretch in Sunday's game. We're going to need to slow down James Harden and the Devil offense with our defense (1-3-1?), and settle into the Princeton offense.
Find a leader: Calvin Haynes and Roeland Schaftenaar were the guys the Beavers turned to down the stretch Sunday. Who will it be tonight? Daniel Deane had a few off-nights last week, maybe it's his time to step up to form a formidable trio.

Halftime: The score at half (30-15) indicates that the Beavers have been running the offense and slowing things down, but the shots aren't falling. ASU is a very streaky shooting team, and as we saw at the end of the first half, it doesn't take them long to build a lead. The Beavers will need to play a nearly perfect second half in order to make this game close down the stretch. Somebody is going to need to step up and make shots from the perimeter... there's now we we can get back in this game shooting 50% and using a full shot clock on every possession. Once again, at the half, it's Arizona State 30, Oregon State 15.

Final Score: Arizona State 69, Oregon State 38.

--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)

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I'm a happy camper

My PIP is working great… Florida/Oklahoma in the top right corner, Beavers on the full screen. And the Beavers are playing in HD tonight!!!

If you’re watching the game, speak up. I’d love to hear from you. I’ll provide a loose live blog in the space below.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:37 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

ASU controls the tip, hits a quick three.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Johnson misses a contested three…. ASU with possession.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Beavers get it back, turn it over.

James Harden fouled at the other end.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Pendergraph has two quick fouls

That’s good for us.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Rihards Kukusiks drives to the hoop...

Just like I said in the preview. He now has a three poitner and a dunk… all of ASU’s points.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Omari Johnson drives to the hoop... nearly draws the third foul on Pendy in less than three minutes.

But the refs say he traveled. Boo.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Haynes misses a driving layup... ASU hits a three at the other end.

8-0 ASU.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Omari Johnson gets the Beavers on the board...

8-2, Sun Devils.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Meanwhile... in the BCS, it's Florida 14, Oklahoma 7

But it seems like everyone is watching that game, so you probably already know….

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Schaftenaar with a turn-around... 8-4 Devils.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Schaftenaar misses a jump hook

But the Beavers are playing good defense as of late.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Claitt from the corner for three....

And the Beavers are back in it. 8-7 Sun Devils.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Jamelle McMillan counters...

ASU by four…

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

OJ takes the ball from Harden, dunks it home.

ASU leads 11-9

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Harden scores... ASU back up by four

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

ASU starting to pull ahead

They’re now up 17-10

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Lathen hits from deep....

17-13.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 7:57 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

ASU up 6 with 7 minutes left in the first half.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Just getting back to the game

Looks as if we are rebounding and shooting okay, why the ASU lead?

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Beyond going up 8-0 on us in the opening minutes, or that pretty much it you think?

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

ASU is shooting pretty well

We are missing a lo of easy shots, like you just saw on that long possession

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:03 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

yep, that shot should have been made

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

but so far we are in it

again, slowly chipping away

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

Being in the game at the half is big for us

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice shot by Lathen.

Like the announcer said, he’s playing good minutes. Now, I want to see something from Deane.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:05 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Good ASU d there

yikes

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:06 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

shot clock violations always annoy me.

by Lost Gods on Jan 8, 2009 8:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

With our offense, we are prone to them

We’re always trying to make a lot of passes in order to find an open shot… if it’s not there, we tend to throw up a lot of shots at the buzzer.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

true

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

okay

now I’m an OSU fan, but that was no foul then a foul?

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

And one for Harden

My old PE teacher is reffing this game…. he made that call.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

look

I don’t want to say anything about your mentor there, but maybe, huh?

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

maybe.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Can't leave Harden open like that

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

damn

just like that up to 10 point spread

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Now 13

Ouch

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

11-0 run

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

yep, and need to make those open shots

Not playing terrible, but in a spot now

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

We're going to need a perfect second half.

Down 15 at half.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Here's my take

and take it as you will, but with this team and the type of offense they want to play it is easy to play pretty good overall but get yourself in a hole if the other team gets hot and/or you defense is off (as overplaying the ball and leaving wide open jumpers).

Will be hard to get back into it without a “star” scorer, someone will have to get very hot from the outside.

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

This team is better at picking away and not at as much making big runs, and this will be hard to do against ASU, but hell we did against USC.

-RVM

by rvm on Jan 8, 2009 8:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

It’s hard to come back when you’re using 30 seconds per possession. That’s how we got back in the game against USC… we hit about four quick three’s in succession. That’s about the only way we’ll likely be able to do it again. We need Haynes or Schaftenaar or someone to prove they’re hot from the outside tonight.

--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com

by Jake Bertalotto on Jan 8, 2009 8:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs