Corvallis, OR – On senior night at Gill Coliseum both Oregon State and Arizona State were in search for a win to build some momentum to carry into next week’s closing league play. Both teams competed well all game, however Arizona State jumped out of the gate first as they made five three pointers in the first half to take their largest lead of the game by eight points. Oregon State rallied with its aggressive full court press, and half court traps to pull ahead 36-30 at the half.
With only one lead change in the game, Oregon State led for the duration of the second half, with their largest lead being fifteen points. The Beavers had five players reach double figures in scoring to propel them to a 79-75 win. Arizona State rallied back into the game late with a fury of three pointers and drives to tie the game at 75-75. Drew Eubanks was fouled in the post with less than forty seconds to play, he sank two free throws to give Oregon State the lead 77-75. After a missed three point attempt Tres Tinkle was fouled on the rebound, however he missed both free throws but Ethan Thompson grabbed a key offensive rebound in the paint and was immediately fouled. Thompson converted the two free throws to push the lead to 79-75 as Arizona State’s rally came up short.
For Oregon State 6’6” freshman forward Alfred Hollins played a solid game scoring 14 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, one block, and six steals. Hollins was very active and engaged from the start of the game. His hustle, energy, aggressive defense and rebounding are all very contagious when he’s on the floor. Hollins is a gifted athletic talent with quick feet and hands and also good slashing abilities to the basket. 6’10” junior forward Eubanks added 16 points (6-9 FG, 4-4 FT) eight rebounds and two assists while making the two clutch free throws late in the game. 6’8” junior forward Tinkle nearly had a “triple-double” as he scored 15 points (7-13 FG) with eight rebounds and eight assists. Tinkle is a good slasher with good footwork, hands, and is very effective and efficient with his finishes in the paint using both hands. 6’4” junior guard Stephen Thompson Jr. competed hard all game and battled his way to 13 points (6-12 FG) with three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Thompson Jr. is getting better each game with his penetration to the basket, as well as his ball distribution in the half court sets showing his growth and leadership. 6’5” freshman guard Ethan Thompson added 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
For Arizona State 6’8” freshman forward Romello White had a solid game in 21 minutes of play, contributing eight points (3-3 FG, 2-3 FT) eight rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. White has a strong athletic physical build, and displays good hands and footwork in the post on offense and defense. He has good jump touch hook finishes with either hand from the post areas, and battles in the paint for rebounds, and positioning. White runs the floor well, and will be a player to follow over the next few seasons to watch his growth, experience, and skill development. 6’1” senior guard Tra Holder led all scorers in this game with his 23 points (7-15 FG).. Holder is a very fast guard with the ball in his hands, and very talented out of the pick-n-roll sets. His quick thinking and creative ball handling skills enable him to get into the paint relatively fast from all angles. Holder has a quick bounce off the floor with his jumpers, and nice backspin rotation on all his shots, and is an influence on the game on both ends of the floor.
Interesting Stats
- Points in paint: Oregon St. 44 – Arizona St. 26
- Assists: Oregon St. 19 – Arizona St. 9
- Steals: Oregon St. 13 – Arizona St. 6
Oregon State (14-14, 6-10) visits Washington (19-0, 9-7) Thursday night.
This article was written by Lorenzo Leaks, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter. We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout certification program. For information contact us and forward your resume.
