Oregon State cruises past Corban 96-58, in lone exhibition game

The Beavers’ basketball team dominated Corban 96-58 this evening. In Oregon State’s first and only exhibition game they easily handled their opponent. Corban competes in the NAIA, so it was no surprise to see the Beavers control the game from start to finish. But, let’s break down the good and bad from tonight’s game.

The Beavers went with a big starting lineup of Drew Eubanks, Cheikh N’diaye, Tres Tinkle, Stephen Thompson Jr and Ronnie Stacy. The big line-up paid off early as N’diaye and Eubanks scored on consecutive post-ups to start the game.

Oregon State was often out-rebounded last year, but they dominated the boards tonight, out rebounding Corban 48-29. The front court rotation of Drew Eubanks, Cheikh N’diaye and Gligorije Rakocevic was impressive and it appears that they will all play extensive minutes as the Beavers might utilize more lineups with two bigs this season.

Ronnie Stacy got the nod as the starting point guard over talented freshman JaQuori McLaughlin. Both players looked impressive tonight though. Ronnie Stacy finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. He looked poised and comfortable running the offense and also showed toughness on the defensive end. JaQuori McLaughlin had a game high 17 points and also added 4 rebounds and 3 assists. McLaughlin made some freshman mistakes here and there, but also showed off his athleticism and offensive prowess that has Beaver nation so excited. Their performances had to encourage the coaching staff as they look to replace Gary Payton II’s production from last season.

Tres Tinkle had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in his first game action since recovering from a foot injury that required surgery. Tinkle did most of his damage by getting to the free throw line hitting 9-for-11 on the night.

Stevie Thompson was 4-for-5 from downtown and finished with 14 points. Drew Eubanks was 5-for-6 from the field and finished with 10.

Cheikh N’diaye had a fantastic game scoring 10 points and adding 6 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. The senior has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but looked fully healthy tonight and showed off his new and improved skills on the offensive end.

Gligorije Rakocevic (aka Big G) nabbed the only double-double of the night. Scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 boards.

Daine Muller looked impressive off the bench. He played tough defense and was lethal from the corner, hitting 3 three-pointers.

The Beavers finished the game with seven players in double figures and shot 59.3% from the field (52.6% from behind the arc). Wayne Tinkle and his staff played much of the roster tonight, with ten players seeing 15 minutes or more of action.

The coaching staff won’t be happy to see that Oregon State ended up with 15 turnovers though. Many of them coming from errant passes or lack of focus. Turnovers could be a constant problem for this young Beaver team.

Interestingly enough, talented junior college transfer Keondre Dew did not play. It does not appear to be injury-related either. It was a “coach’s decision” and we’ll have to wait until we hear more from the team regarding his status.

Overall, Oregon State took care of business tonight. They got off to a strong start and took a 51-28 lead into halftime. Corban went on a run towards the end of the game, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Oregon State’s next game will be on November 11th. They take on Prairie View A&M at home as they look to start the season off with a victory.