:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62345756/usa_today_9773880.0.jpg)
It won’t go down as the most convincing of victories in head coach Wayne Tinkle’s tenure at Oregon State but as the old adages goes in the world of competitive sports, “a win is a win” and you simply have to take them however they come. On Friday (morning - Pacific Time), the Beavers were able to hold off Old Dominion, 61-56, in a hard-fought clash to open up the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.
Oregon State will now square off with the winner of Missouri-Kennesaw State contest (which is currently ongoing) on Sunday, November 18th at 2:30 PM PT, for a chance to go to the tournament final.
In the win, the Beavers were reliant as always on the star-studded duo of Stephen Thompson Jr. (17 points, 4 steals) and Tres Tinkle (13 points, 12 rebounds), but a monster performance from center Gligorije Rakocevic (15 points, 9 rebounds) is truly what changed the tides for Tinkle’s squad in the match-up. Rakocevic shot an impressive 6-8 from the floor in what could be considered one of the best all-around performances in the big man’s career.
For Old Dominion, the Monarchs were paced by guards B.J. Stith (15 points, 6-17 FG) and Ahmad Caver (12 points, 3-12 FG), the two usual suspects to stir the pot for head coach Jeff Jones. However, the duo finished with a substandard 9-29 (31%) shooting output and managed just one assist between them.
Some notable stat-lines to take away from this game include a slow day at the office for Alfred Hollins (9 minutes, 0 points) and Zach Reichle (22 minutes, 4 points), as well as just 9 total bench points being chipped in by the Beavers bench. Sophomore guard Ethan Thompson also finished with 7 points on a 1-8 shooting display, in a game where the rising talent barely came off the court.
Up Next: As previously mentioned, the Beavers will play the winner of Missouri-Kennesaw State on Sunday, November 18th at 2:30 PM PT. The game will once again be televised by FloHoops. The winner that eventual contest will go on to play in the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Championship game against either Northern Iowa, Penn, Eastern Kentucky or Kansas State.