:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53317515/stevie_thompson.0.jpeg)
It has finally happened! The Beavers got their first PAC 12 win of the season in thrilling fashion as they edge Utah 68-67. It doesn’t get much better than this if you are a Beavers fan. It’s been a long season to say the least, and it is nice that the fans, players and coaches have something to cheer about tonight.
This game looked like it was going to be like any other game this season. The Beavs played a very competitive first half but still trailed by 4 at the half. In the second half the Beavs got off to a slow start and went down by as much as 12 points. At that point it looked like we were about to see the 15th straight loss and 24th loss overall. But this game was different. Led by Stephen Thompson Jr., the Beavers clawed all the way back and gave themselves a chance to win that they took full advantage of.
Stephen Thompson Jr. finished with 31 points on 11-17 shooting including 5-9 on threes. He also had the scoop layup that put the Beavs in front for good. Drew Eubanks helped out with 12 points and 4 rebounds. For the Utes, Kyle Kuzma poured in 19 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
While the Beavers still have an awful record of 5-23 overall and 1-14 in PAC 12 play, this is a great moment for Oregon State and they will enjoy this for the night. Their next game is this Wednesday, February 22nd where they will travel to Stanford. That game starts at 8:00 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPNU.