| 10 March 2011
The Oregon State Beavers aren't done yet.
Coach Craig Robinson went young down the stretch as OSU hung on to defeat the Stanford Cardinal, 69-67, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Wednesday night. The Beavers' reward: a showdown with top-seeded Arizona at 2:30 PST on Thursday.
That's not all bad, though, because the Beavers know they can play with the Wildcats.
Notes
"Ironmen" Start, Youngsters Finish: Robinson started the same five he started in OSU's previous game, those he didn't suspend for curfew violations following the Beavers' loss to Arizona March 3: Roberto Nelson, Kevin McShane, Omari Johnson, Joe Burton, and Angus Brandt. Robinson called them his "ironmen" last weekend; Nelson played all 40 minutes against Arizona State March 5.
But OSU fell behind 6-0 quickly, and after just two minutes of game time, Robinson brought in leading scorer Jared Cunningham and forward Devon Collier. The Beavers promptly went on a 9-1 run. They held a 26-18 lead over Stanford at the half.
Late in the game, Robinson went with his young guys, closing out with Cunningham, Nelson, Ahmad Starks, Collier, and Burton -- this is Robinson's fastest lineup, a small team that can defend and spread the floor. Starks' three triples in the first half were a key to OSU's early lead, and Cunningham and Collier took over in the second half.Cunningham led the Beavers with 24 points, going 15-20 from the free throw line and helping the Beavers hold on to the lead late. Collier finished with a career-high 19 points and 8 rebounds, and Starks finished with 15 points. Burton had trouble getting his shot off in the lane, going 2-10, but he finished with 14 rebounds and a team-high 6 assists; his energy in the lane was crucial in the second half.
Seniors Sit: OSU's second leading scorer, senior Calvin Haynes, didn't see the floor against Stanford. Senior Lathen Wallace didn't leave the bench, either. It isn't clear whether the benchings were the lasting results of curfew violations -- and whatever happened that fateful night in Tucson -- or a big shift toward youth by Robinson late in the season.
The only senior to see playing time was Omari Johnson, who was not benched for a curfew violation last week, but he shot 1-6 and didn't play many minutes in the second half.
The Notorious 1-3-1: Stanford shot an astonishing 12% from the floor in the first half, making just 4-34 shots. OSU's 2-3 defense was decent in the first half, but the poor shooting percentage was largely the result of Stanford missing open shots.
Robinson went to the 1-3-1 defense in the second half, and the Beavers gave up three open triples in four Stanford possessions. The Cardinal made all three and tied the game early in the second half. Robinson promptly scrapped the 1-3-1, and the Beavers slowly rebuilt a lead.
Robinson deserves credit for moving away from the 1-3-1 when it didn't work. On the other hand, it's not hard to predict that Stanford would bust the trapping zone defense and knock down threes, so why give up 9 points and momentum in a tournament game in which your team has the lead?
Cunningham, McShane, and Good Hands: In a game full of great plays -- Devon Collier scooped a highlight-reel layup from his hip around a defender -- two plays deserve special attention: first, junior forward Kevin McShane, who's got a great nose for the ball, dove to the the floor late in the game after a loose ball following a missed Stanford free throw. It looked like McShane would slide out of bounds, but he quickly lifted his upper body and passed cleanly to Cunningham, who was fouled and went to the free throw line with under two minutes to play. How McShane saved that ball and his body from going out of bounds is a wonder. It may have been a 4-point swing.
With just seconds left to go and the Beavers up two, Cunningham's defense prevented a heartbreaking last-second loss at the end of this game. Stanford's Jeremy Green was 7-15 from downtown for 25 points, and he dribbled the ball across half court with three seconds left on the clock. As he brought the ball up for a shot about 30 feet from the rim, Cunningham took a chance and swiped at the ball, hitting it clean in Green's hands and causing the shooter to lose control. By the time Green regained possession, time had expired and the Beavers had hung on for the 2-point win. It was the type of play that only one of the nation's best defenders has the ability and the spine to make in that situation.
Wildcats Await: The Beavers have a quick turnaround now, facing Arizona at 2:30 Thursday afternoon in L.A. We know the Beavers can play with Arizona, but they'll have to shoot better and limit the number of open looks for the Wildcats if they want to have a chance to advance. Shooting 35%, as OSU did Wednesday against Stanford, won't cut it. The Beavers assisted only 10 shots against the Cardinals -- also a sign that the team needs to play better on offense Thursday afternoon.
photo: daylife
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