Paul Sancya / Associated Press
The Oregon State Beavers is heading for the second weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament 2021.
Number 12 in the Midwest defeated fourth-placed Oklahoma State Cowboys 80-70 in Sunday’s second round clash at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Ethan Thompson and Maurice Calloo paved the way for the Beavers, who advanced to Sweet 16 for the first time since 1982.
A late push and 24 points out of just 6 out of 20 Cade Cunningham’s kicks weren’t enough for the Cowboys, who haven’t made it past the second round since 2005.
Notable player statistics
- Ethan Thompson, G, OR ST: 26 PTS, 7 REB
- Jarod Lucas, G, OR ST: 15 PTS, 6 REB
- Maurice Calloo, F, OR ST: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 3 of 5 3PT
- Cade Cunningham, G, OK ST: 24 PTS, 5 STL, 4 REB, 3 AST
- Avery Anderson III, G, OK ST: 16 PTS, 4 STL, 4 AST, 3 REB
Ethan Thompson’s clutch kit prevents Oklahoma from charging
Sometimes, just heating up at the right time to change the trajectory of an entire season.
Oregon State was totally mediocre with 11-11 overall and 7-9 on Pac-12 in late February, when something changed. The Beavers have won three of their last four games of the regular season and then plucked three consecutive wins over tournament teams at UCLA, Oregon and Colorado in the conference tournament to take the Pac-12 crown.
They remained scored during the Big Dance with a 14-point victory over Tennessee and stayed where they left off on Sunday, jumping to a double-digit lead in the first half.
It was the bench that set the tone, when Calloo caught fire from the bottom and Dearon Tucker fired four shots before the break. The fact that it was Calloo (5.2 PPG) who provided the spark underscored how different this Beavers team was from the one that dragged on through much of the programming.
The bank’s contributions were even more important with scorer Thompson on and off the team with fault problems. Jarod Lucas took the time off for the starting line-up by hitting the back, while Warith Alatishe and Roman Silva fought for the plates.
Despite these efforts, Oklahoma State reduced the lead to just two with a push in the second half and looked prepared to take control of the home stretch. Instead, Thompson returned to the ground and helped withstand the storm, avoiding turns by breaking the press and calmly hitting 15 of 16 free throws in a heavy game.
He also landed a clutch jumper over Cunningham’s defense and landed six charity kicks in the last two minutes to ensure victory.
Oklahoma State’s Frantic Comeback falls short
Cunningham is always in the spotlight when the State of Oklahoma enters the field, but that was the case especially after he lost just 3 of 14 on the field in his first NCAA tournament game on Friday.
Avery Anderson III came to his rescue in that victory over Liberty, but he found himself in trouble early in the game against the Beavers and was relatively quiet in the first half. This, along with more field fights for Cunningham, posed problems for the Cowboys, as they were left behind for up to 18 hours before the break.
Cunningham hit a pair of threes early in the second half to help change momentum, but the biggest difference was Oklahoma’s decision to increase defensive pressure. He pushed his way back into the game, forcing 20 spins in all, many of which occurred when Thompson was on the bench in serious trouble as Oregon State’s top ball handler.
Anderson was applying a lot of that defensive pressure and helped create opportunities on the other end of the line. His ability to reach the free throw line and convert also helped the Cowboys to return quickly well before the time of the squeeze.
Still, the state of Oregon had an answer every time it looked like the state of Oklahoma would finally take over. Cunningham helped to give a final push by helping a Keylan Boone to three, stealing the ball and hitting another triple to reduce the deficit to three, but the Cowboys were completely out of control in the final stretch.
They did not score a single field goal in the final 3:40 of the game, while forcing the problem against the firm defense, which ended the season.
What is the next?
The Beavers face the Chicago Ramblers’ eighth Loyola in Sweet 16 next weekend.