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UCLA (11-7, 2-3) at Oregon State (11-5, 2-3) / Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, OR / 8 PM PST / ESPNU / KEJO 1240 AM / KEX 1190 AM
Oregon State returns home, and to action, late tonight, hosting UCLA. It's another after 8 PM start for the 129th meeting between the Beavers and Bruins, but since its on ESPNU, everyone can watch from afar.
Both teams will be looking to bounce back after a bad outcome in their last outings.
The Bruins have had a full week to stew on a lopsided loss last Wednesday to cross-town rival USC, after the Trojans came into Pauley Pavillion and pounded UCLA 89-75.
The Beavers, in contrast, have had only 2 days to regroup after playing the last game of the day's slate on Sunday in Salt Lake City, which was a 59-53 loss to Utah. Oregon State will actually have more time to prepare for USC, whom they won't face until Sunday, than they will for the first game of the "weekend" set.
They could use the extra time, as in addition to needing to recover from a pair of losses in last week's pair of trips to the mountains, which began with a 71-54 loss in Boulder to Colorado last Wednesday, the Beavers also need to implement rotation changes to adjust for the absence of Jarmal Reid,
Reid will be serving the first game of a minimum 4 game suspension handed down by Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle in the wake of an incident late in the game Sunday in Salt Lake CIty in which Reid tripped official Tommy Nunez.
On the other hand, it will be a game time decision as to whether freshman guard Derrick Bruce will be available.
Last year, Oregon State split the season series with UCLA. The Beavers beat the Bruins 65-55 in the first meeting, which was 1 year ago this coming Friday, but the Bruins bounced back to dominate the rematch at Pauley Pavillion, winning 75-59.
Overall, UCLA has dominated the series 91-37, but then again, the Big Bad Bruins hold similar margins against almost everyone. Oregon State has won the last 3 meetings at Gill Coliseum though, and are 3-3 in that time frame.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com