Oregon State’s run to the Elite Eight may have been the biggest surprise of a surprise-laden NCAA tournament.
The journey came to a heartbreaking end on Monday.
Houston put the clamps down on the Pac-12 Cinderella early and fended off a furious second-half rally for a 67-61 win to punch its ticket to the Final Four. The trip to the national semifinals marks the first Final Four trip for the program since Hakeem Olajuwon led Phi Slamma Jamma to its second-straight title game appearance in 1984.
Houston, which allows just 57.5 points per game, set the tone early. Seven minutes into the game, Oregon State had more turnovers (five) than it did points as Houston opened up a 12-4 lead. Houston doubled up Oregon State at halftime, 34-17, holding the Beavers to the lowest halftime point total of any of its NCAA tournament opponents.
But the Beavers and head coach Wayne Tinkle had defensive tricks of their own. They flustered the Cougars after halftime with a 1-3-1 zone while while finding their own offensive rhythm in a 38-21 run. In a game that looked like a blowout early, Oregon State rallied for a 55-55 tie on a Gianni Hunt 3-pointer with 3:48 remaining. After struggling to hold on to the ball early, the Beavers didn’t turn the ball over once while mounting the second-half rally.
But the final push belonged to Houston. Quentin Grimes responded with his own 3-pointer to retake the lead at 58-55. The Beavers wouldn’t get within two points of the Cougars again as their unlikely tournament run met its end.
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