Oregon State over University of Arizona 63-55, Men's basketball. 27 year drought in the desert in over!

I have been an Oregon State University fan since 1978, harkening back to the days of Ralph Miller and OSU always being in the national rankings and making it easily into post season play. Those teams and years have been obilterated by really poor choices for head coach, poor coaching and an inability to recruit good players. Enter Craig Robinson, who was hired to one of the least wanted coaching jobs in the country. The turn around has been amazing and it started paying off last season. The Beavers play a 1-3-1 defense that is rapidly becoming one of the better in country. After suffering through way too many really horrible, losing seasons with the football team and watching them turn the corner, when the basketball team tanked, it really was bad. I do not have a crystal ball to see if OSU will even have a winning record this season or make it into post season play two years in a row but a BIG WELL done to Coach Robinson and his players. Oh by the way, Coach Robinson is President Obama's brother in law. Maybe he could help out out in D.C., You think?
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Oregon State Tops Arizona, 63-55

Oregon State took the lead late in the first half and never trailed again on Saturday to stun Arizona 63-55, the Beavers' first victory in Tucson in 27 years.[+]


Another Streak Bites the Dust as OSU Men Win in Tucson

Brian Brooks, Managing Editor

TUCSON, Ariz. – A lot of futility streaks have come to an end over the past two seasons since head coach Craig Robinson took the helm of Oregon State's beleaguered basketball program.

Aside from this year's season sweep of Oregon, the Beavers' first in 17 years, none are probably as sweet or meaningful as last night's 63-55 win over Arizona – Oregon State's first win in Tucson in 27 years.

That's a long time.

Oregon State last won on the Wildcats' home floor in the same year that the last episode of M*A*S*H aired, and the year AT&T Bell was broken up by the U.S. government (remember a time before phone service commercials?). Ronald Reagan was president, and Lech Walesa led the Solidarity labor movement in Poland on his way to winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Back then, basketball shorts were really, really short, and the best piece of sports video that year showed George Brett of the Kansas City Royals freaking out after his game-winning home run against the Yankees was nullified in what became known as the infamous "pine tar incident."

It was also several weeks after a little thing called the Internet was created.

Saturday's victory will probably go further than any since Robinson's arrival to demonstrate once and for all that OSU basketball is back – in all its slow-it-down, 1-3-1 trapping glory.

"I'm not apologetic at all about the way we're playing and how we're trying to win games," Robinson told radio play-by-play man and OSR contributor Mike Parker prior to the game.

Who's looking for an apology? Not Beaver Nation, and certainly not anyone with a shred of basketball acumen.

Question: What's not to like about a game plan that enables the Beavers to control the tempo of the game nearly every night, and allows the team to go more than seven minutes without a first half field goal but still take a 26-20 lead to the locker room at intermission?

Answer: Absolutely nothing, especially when the end result is a team that can now go toe-to-toe with any squad in the Pac-10 for the first time in decades.

Saturday's game featured the welcome return of point-center Roeland Shaftenaar, who led the Beavers in scoring with 14 points including a key 3-pointer during a decisive 15-5 run after the Wildcats had chipped away at a 10-point OSU lead to tie things up with ten minutes to play.

"The effort was monumental by our guys; the toughness was monumental," Robinson said of his team's ability to fend off that furious second half Arizona rally. "I thought that was a time when they came back like a bulldozer and almost knocked us over, and our guys stood steadfastly and did the things that got them into the lead. That was so good to see."

Calvin Haynes added 13 points,and you can give a third game ball to Seth Tarver, who took his usual well-rounded game up a notch with 11 points, eight boards (three offensive) and five assists.

"It means a lot," Tarver said of the win, even though he and his teammates have no way of relating to any of the historical context provided above. "It's crazy, because I wasn't born the last time the Beavers won here!"

For the players, that makes it a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

"It's hard enough without the 27-year hiatus," Robinson said of the weight of history his men had to overcome, before pointing out one of the reasons behind the three decades worth of losses in Tucson. "This is one of the best home courts in the history of college basketball, so these guys have a lot to be proud of."

Something tells me it won't be long before Ralph Miller Court at legendary Gill Coliseum turns back into one of college basketball's better home courts, too.

Oregon State University Official Athletic Site

http://www.officialsportsreport.com/teampage_email.asp?UpdateType=FinalApprove&teamID=124&breakingID=6600&Year=2010&Month=2