Beavers Outlast Bruins in Payback Win, 67-64

Full disclosure: I watched this game on my phone while at a friend’s house for a Deschutes Abyss drinking party. If you don’t know what Abyss is, well, you’re missing out.

My friend was cracking open some Deshcutes Abyss for a dinner party the night before a big festival, and of course I wasn’t going to turn down the invite. Thank goodness for Sling TV carrying the Pac-12 Network, I would be able to partake and watch the game at the same time.

Well darn it, the USC versus Oregon game ran long (double overtime!) so it was near 8:40 PM (I think) by the time the the Oregon State game came on. The Beavers were down by five midway through the second quarter, but if you had watched the first match-up, you knew that this was already a closer game than the first.

I was keenly tuned into the game while also sampling the sweet nectar that is aged Abyss and also trying to engage in conversation with my friends, and let’s just say this game was dominating my attention because “holy cow” it was back-and-forth. I was fist pumping every time the Beavers took the lead and then covering my face every time the Bruins had an answer.

The game was destined for overtime, so I asked my host to pour me some more because I was sure that I would need to drown my sorrows by the time this was over. He poured me another and I sipped and cried as UCLA pulled to a five point lead early into the extra period. But alas, Oregon State would not go away quietly and eventually the Beavs took a three point lead on Marie Gulich’s free throws. We were all huddled around my phone as the seconds ticked away. UCLA couldn’t connect on two game tying three-point attempts, and then Oregon State came away with the victory! Hooray!

You know who else won? The scotch barrel aged Abyss from 2016.

Note: there may be blackmail photos from this night that show up in the comments because I lost a Civil War bet to a friend that’s a Duck fan.