Oregon State Returns to Action In Civil War Battle

Oregon (11-2) vs. Oregon State (9-2) / Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, OR / 4 PM PST / Fox 1 / KEJO 1240 AM / KEX 1190 AM

Game Notes

Oregon State jumps back into action, and the Pac-12 season, after a nearly 2 week holiday hiatus in with a bang this afternoon, diving into conference play with the 345th battle in the Civil War against Oregon.

The Beavers have had 13 days off since downing Quinnipiac 82-61 back on Dec. 21.

The Ducks are flying fairly high, in and out of the top 25, with only an 11 point loss at UNLV and a 2 point setback at Boise State spotting their record. Oregon tuned up for the today's CW battle with an 88-60 win over Western Oregon, The Beavers defeated the Wolves 76-57 in their first action of the season back in early November.

Oregon State leads the series, which is the most played series in college hoops, 185-159. Oregon swept last year's series, taking the conference campaign opener in Eugene 71-59, and the regular season concluder 65-62 in Corvallis.

The Civil War is always a big deal, but its especially so for both teams this time. Oregon is looking for an NCAA Tournament berth, and hopefully, favorable seeding. Oregon State has a shot at at least being a bubble team, or if not, getting a decent NIT berth. In both the Ducks and Beavers cases, a win today will be a good resume booster, and, for both teams, also falls in the category of swing games that could well go either way. That makes it one of the most important games of the season. A win gets conference play off to a good start, but a loss leaves the team in a hole right off the bat.

As such, its no surprise that the game is the first sell-out of Gill Coliseum since the 2012 Civil War Battle, and it won't be a surprise if its as close a contest as that one, a one point 74-73 win by Oregon. The Ducks are a 2 point favorite, reflective of their slightly better record, but also reflective of the closeness everyone expects.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com