Beavers Host ASU; Get Your Benny Beaver Bobblehead

Photo: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS - The last time that the Oregon State men’s basketball team (9-16 overall, 1-11 Pac-10) swept Arizona State in a regular-season series was in 1991-92.

Thanks to the previous win in Tempe, the Beavers will get a chance to end that drought on Saturday in Gill Coliseum.

A win would also help OSU maintain its position ahead of ASU in the Pac-10 standings and end a seven-game losing streak.

GAME #26 — Saturday at Gill Coliseum: Oregon State vs. Arizona State (6-17, 0-12) at 3:00 PM.

PROMOTIONS:

The first 500 fans that purchase a game program at Saturday’s contest vs. Arizona State will receive a Benny Beaver bobblehead collectible.

ON TELEVISION:

The Arizona State game will be televised locally by FSN Northwest as well as on FSN Arizona. Brian Davis, Bob Weiss and Tom Kuyper are the announcers.

ARIZONA STATE SERIES:

OSU leads the all-time series with Arizona State, 37-31. OSU has won two straight in the series.

The Beavers came back from a 15-point second-half deficit without three injured starters to beat ASU at the 2006 Pac-10 Tournament, 71-68, and then won in Tempe earlier this year. In Gill Coliseum, OSU is 20-10 against ASU.

LAST GAME VS. ARIZONA STATE:

Back on Jan. 13th the Beavers won their first Pac-10 game in their fifth attempt and ended an eight-game losing streak in Tempe with a 67-59 victory at Arizona State.

ASU led for much of the first half and took a 35-27 lead two minutes into the second half while the Beavers were on a nearly seven-minute scoring drought.

But OSU came alive, going on a 13-2 run to take a 40-37 lead with 12:52 to go. Sasa Cuic’s basket gave the Beavers the lead for good at 46-44 with 7:48 to play.

Holding a six-point lead with less than two minutes to play, the Beavers were sent to the free throw line on each of their final seven possessions and went 11-for-14.

Marcel Jones had a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds and Cuic scored a game-high 20 points.

LAST GAME:

It’s been the case a lot during the Pac-10 season, but the Beavers battled hard yet came up short again in a 72-66 loss to #24 Arizona on Thursday night in Gill Coliseum.

The Beavers trailed by 11 early in the second half at 41-30 but rallied to the game at 45-45 after back-to-back three-pointers by Sasa Cuic and Josh Tarver.

It was just a two-point game in the final minute but Arizona made its critical free throws down the stretch.

A big disparity at the free throw line (Arizona was 25-for-33, OSU was 6-for-8) helped the Wildcats.

OSU was better from the field, 48.2% to 44.9%. Cuic scored a career-high 25 points while Marcel Jones had 14 and Tarver added 13.

RANKED OPPONENTS:

The Beavers are trying to beat a ranked opponent for the fourth consecutive year. So far, however, it’s been difficult and OSU is 0-8 against ranked teams.

At home this season, OSU has lost to #24 Nevada, #12 LSU (the last time OSU hosted two ranked non-conference opponents in one season was 1957-58), #20 Oregon (the last time OSU played three ranked opponents before the end of December was 1977-78), #1 UCLA (OSU fell to 2-26 all-time against top-ranked teams) and #24 Arizona.

On the road, the Beavers have lost at #10 Arizona (their 25th straight loss in Tucson), #20 Washington State and #5 UCLA

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