Corvallis, OR – Arizona stunned Oregon State in a thriller, escaping Corvallis with a 74-72 win on a last-second offensive rebound by Devonaire Doutrive. Both teams were trying to position themselves for a better seed in the Pac-12 Tournament with one week remaining in the season.
This game was a battle from start to finish with sixteen lead changes and thirteen ties. It was very clear that this game could play out to the final possession. Neither team could deliver a knockout blow, as the largest leads were seven points for OSU and five points for Arizona. Early double digit scoring from Ethan Thompson and Tres Tinkle (each 11 points) gave OSU the early halftime lead at 35-32. The battle continued in the second half with the Wildcats in the game to the end. Stephen Thompson Jr made a lay up to tie the game 72-72 with 24 seconds remaining. Following an Arizona time out the ball was inbounded to senior guard Justin Coleman. Coleman created space with a dribble jab step-back jump shot that missed off the front of the rim only to be cleaned up by the 6’5” freshman guard Doutrive who slashed to the rim from the wing for the put back as the horn sounded, giving the Wildcats the thrilling win. Doutrive finished with nine points (4-4 FG, 1-1 3FG) and five rebounds in fifteen minutes of play. Arizona held the Beavers to 46 percent shooting on the game and had four players in double figures. One of the key stats for this game was Arizona’s edge in bench points (29-9) and their 20-3 edge in second chance points.
For Oregon State 6’11” senior center Gligorije Rakocevic continues to play solid minutes off the bench. He brings mental and physical toughness to the floor as well as vocal communication. He scored seven points (2-3 FG, 3-4 FT) to go along with two rebounds and one steal in 13 minutes of play. Junior forward Tinkle scored a game high 24 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3FG, 8-10 FT) with five rebounds, two assists, three turnovers, and one steal. Tinkle did a very good job of drawing fouls in the game with his savviness, high IQ and pivoting footwork to make something out of plays. He has a good feel for the game and is one of the best competitors in the conference. Sophomore guard Thompson has matured into one of the teams’ quiet leaders. His competitiveness, hustle and tenacity are all very contagious. He finished with 18 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3FG, 8-8 FT), five assists and no turnovers. One of his improvements is his confidence at the free throw line where this season he’s making 81 percent compared to 73 percent last season. Senior guard Thompson Jr. scored 17 points (6-15 FG, 2-9 3FG, 3-4) with two rebounds, two assists and three steals. He did a good job of making plays on both ends of the floor when the Beavers really needed it.
For Arizona, 6’6” sophomore guard Brandon Randolph is extremely athletic with good length, quickness, and a burst changing gears when attacking the basket. Randolph allows the game to come to him and plays with a good flow. He finished with a team-high 15 points (7-8 FG, 1-2 FT) and added three rebounds, and one block. He can really get up and down the floor. Freshman guard Doutrive has good length and runs the floor extremely well. He’s a good defender playing the passing lanes and competed fighting around screens. He should become a nice talent for Arizona over the next few seasons. 6’7” sophomore forward Ira Lee is a very talented, strong player with athleticism. Lee finished with 10 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT) and two rebounds and was very instrumental with his energy. 6’2” freshman guard Brandon Williams has a nice jump shot. He’s a player to keep on the radar over the next few seasons as well. He scored 10 points (3-8 FG, 2-3 3FG, 2-2 FT) with four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks. Williams has nice size for a combo guard. 6’10” junior Chase Jeter is a very intriguing player. He left the game with a knee injury, however showed some talent in his 21 minutes of play.
Oregon State (17-10, 9-6) hosts Arizona State (19-9, 10-6) on Sunday while Arizona (17-12, 8-8), plays at Oregon (16-12, 7-8) on Saturday evening.
This article was written by Lorenzo Leaks, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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