Beavs’ Hot Streak Comes to an End in Tempe

The Beavs lost a heartbreaker tonight, falling to the Sun Devils 70-67 at the Wells Fargo Arena. Despite being down at half time and trailing as much as 16 in the second half, the Beavs showed much composure and stayed within striking distance. Ethan and Tres both turned in 21 points, leading the near comeback despite Arizona State runs.

Ethan made several key three pointers to keep the Beavs in it, as Tinkle made a myriad of lay ups to help the cause. Kylor Kelley was in early foul trouble and unfortunately couldn’t get in any sort of rhythm going as was well below his 8 points per game and 4 blocked shots per game averages. Tres Tinkle’s last ditch effort in the last few minutes was big, getting a key block and hitting a deep, deep three pointer to keep the Beavs competitive down the stretch. Stevie Thompson struggled with just 9 points and missed key free-throws and chip shots throughout the game.

For the Sun Devils, high flying Zylan Cheatam, turned in a monster game of 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was tough to stop on the boards as he had a vicious tip back dunk while everybody else on the court was watching for the rebound. Remy Martin commanded attention all night with his world class speed, contributing 10 points. Freshman Taeshon Cherry scored 12 points off the bench (all three pointers.) The Sun Devils showed why they have beaten the Beavers at Tempe since 2007, however, Oregon State had a chance to come up with the lead at the end of the game. Tres Tinkle got his hands on a tipped inbound pass, trailing 68-67, but he slipped and fell, losing the ball in the process. Tinkle, coming off an ankle injury he suffered during the Oregon win, did not look 100 percent as he was still heavily taped on his leg.

The Beavs had a lethargic start Thursday night, missing key opportunities, hoisting up three-pointers, and missing free-throws in the first half. However, the second half, Oregon State looked like a completely different team, shooting with confidence, and played like a unit like they did versus USC and UCLA. In what was a valiant effort that ultimately fell short, this Oregon State team showed that they have not only the courage to fight, but the talent to keep up with their Pac-12 foes. The Beavs travel to Tucson on Saturday and take on the Wildcats at 4:00 PT.