Corvallis, OR – In the Pac-12 opener for both teams Oregon State topped Colorado 76-57 in an intense game in which both teams came to play. The first half was a very competitive tug of war with each team determined to enforce their will. The Beavers took a 32-23 lead into the half. The second half belonged completely to Beaver Nation. They turned up their level of intensity on every level with: defense, hustle, traps, rebounding, transition game, passing, drives to the basket, and 3-point shooting. OSU received very valuable minutes from every Beaver that stepped onto the floor.
The Thompson brothers 6-4 junior guard Stephen Jr. and 6-5 freshman Ethan dazzled the home fans with their electricity. Stephen caught fire in the second half, scoring 22 of his 24 points. He got into a comfort zone where everything he shot was touching nothing but the bottom of the net. He has a good release and rotation on his shots, and is a very smooth catch and shoot player especially once he gets his feet set. He also has displayed good court vision over the season. Ethan played another solid game, contributing of 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. He is a very athletic combo guard with good length and slashing abilities to the basket. Ethan also has great lateral movement on defense with very quick hands.
The Beavers also got notable play from 6-8 junior forward Tres Tinkle (23 points (9-14 FG, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, six assists, one block and three steals. Tinkle is a smooth wing player who can do a little bit of everything. As he continues to build and improve on his ball handling and strength, he will be a interesting prospect his senior season. 6-10 junior forward Drew Eubanks dominated the paint with his athletic shot blocking presence as he had six blocked shots to go along with nine rebounds and seven points.
The Buffaloes got really nice play from their 6-7 freshman guard/forward Tyler Bey in his 19 minutes of play. He contributed 14-points (5-8 FG, 4-4 FT) and four rebounds. Bey is a very talented athletic freshman with a soft shooting touch. He showed good slashing ability to the basket, runs the floor well, and isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint.
Interesting Stats for Game
- Points off Turnovers: OSU 28 – Colorado 17
- Points in the paint: OSU 40 – Colorado 26
Oregon State (9-4, 1-0) hosts Utah (9-3, 1-0) this Sunday at Gill Coliseum to close out 2017.
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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