OSU beats Southern Oregon in first game without Tres Tinkle

The Beavers put a halt to their four-game losing skid by cruising to an 84-59 victory over the Southern Oregon University Raiders on Monday night.

OSU sophomore forward Tres Tinkle missed his first of what will be several games with a broken wrist, suffered at the end of a 31-point night against Fresno State last Friday; but the Beavers still proved to be too much for their NAIA opponents.

Sophomore forward Drew Eubanks led the way for Oregon State, and efficient performances from freshman Kendal Manuel and junior Ronnie Stacy helped fill the gap left by Tinkle on both ends of the floor.

The Beavers were neck-and-neck with their opponents for much of the first half, but a strong close to the opening period put Oregon State ahead by double figures at the break and they never looked back.

Eubanks took control in the opening minutes of the game for OSU. The Raiders’ freshman Jordan Hunt was given the task of guarding the Beavers powerful forward, and it did not take long for Eubanks to capitalize on the match-up. Eubanks had his way in the low post, overpowering and outclassing Hunt on numerous occasions en route to 14 points on 7-9 shooting in the opening eight minutes of the game.

“I just wanted to take good shots,” said Eubanks of his mindset. “If they double-teamed me I’d kick it out to our shooters. We did a really good job of knocking down threes when we kicked it back out.”

Slack perimeter defense from OSU and lights-out shooting from Southern Oregon helped the Raiders keep pace with their hosts for much of the first half, however. The Raiders scored their first 24 points of the game from behind the three-point line, shooting 8-13 from distance to keep SOU within two after 10 minutes. 

Consecutive jumpers from Raiders sophomore Tristen Holmes then gave the visitors a 28-26 lead midway through the first half, but they would not enjoy the lead for long.

The Beavers buckled down on defense and surged past their opponents to claim a 45-35 lead at the half, a lead that they never relinquished.

Oregon State tightened up their perimeter defense in the second half, holding the Raiders to 3-12 shooting from downtown in the period. Meanwhile, Eubanks continued to assert himself on the offensive end. Eubanks ended the game with 32 points and nine rebounds, shooting 15-21 from the field.

“[Eubanks] should have got it on every possession—that was the gameplan,” said Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle. “They were getting physical and pushing him, but he was posting deep so it was simple… It’s a big-time effort from him and something he can build off of.”

Stacy and Manuel both performed well on the night. Stacy finished with career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (nine) to go with six assists; and Manuel shot 6-9 from the field, tallying 15 points and four assists.

“We had a big loss with Tres,” Manuel said after the game, “That leaves room for someone else to step up and make plays… our game plan was to get the ball in to Drew, but if it got back out to me on the double-team I was going to try to knock my shots down.”

With the win, the Beavers will now prepare to head out on their second road trip of the season. Games against Mississippi State and Charlotte will provide opportunities for the team to pick up their first victory away from Gill Coliseum this season.

The Beavers will play their next home game against Savannah State University on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 3p.m.