Oregon State Men’s Basketball: Oregon State vs. Colorado Analysis

Oregon State displayed an admirable effort, but ultimately fell short to the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder Thursday night, 85-78. The Beavers shot 54.9% from the field and were 14-19 from the charity stripe. Drew Eubanks led all scorers with 27 points, and Stephen Thompson Jr. followed closely with 26 points. The game was a back and forth battle with both teams shooting over 50%. Colorado held a slim 41-40 advantage at halftime. The Beavers were able to get their last lead of the game 56-55, with 12:14 left. However, Colorado quickly regained the lead, thanks to a Tory Miller lay up, and the Beavers were never able to regain the lead. The Colorado bench was quite impressive tonight, outscoring the Beaver bench 42-4. Junior Guard George King led Colorado in scoring with 24 pts. off the bench. In addition, Colorado was 12-22 from the 3 pt. line. In the battle of the beatens, Colorado was the better team tonight, but the Beavers fought hard.

Here are some takeaways from Thursday night’s game.

78 points, the most points Oregon State has scored in conference play this season.

Credit the Beavers for their highest offensive output this season in conference play. The Beavers did a much better job from the free throw line. In addition, the Beavers shot 54.9% from the field. Drew Eubanks and Stephen Thompson Jr. had very impressive games. Eubanks and Thompson nearly won the game on their own. Freshman Guard Jaquori McLaughlin was 3-3 from the 3 pt. line (shoot more Jaquori!).

However, 85 points were tied for the most the Beavs gave up so far in conference play.

85 points, 12-22 from 3 point land, and 42 points from the Colorado bench. Enough said.

Final Thoughts:

I don’t like the term “moral victory,” but........I still don’t like the phrase “moral victory.” The Beavers took a step forward in their growth and development on Wayne Tinkle’s 51st birthday. Thompson and Eubanks are developing into elite level players, but they need help. It’s too bad that arguably the best player on the team, Tres Tinkle, has missed most of the season. (He may miss the whole season and might receive a medical redshirt.) Tres Tinkle’s return to the court will likely give the Beavers a huge boost. Fortunately, they will get help next season with new comers Ethan Thompson and Zach Riechle when they join the team. The future will no doubt be better for the Oregon State men’s program. The main question is, how will the Beavers make the present time better?