ORegon State’s postgame celebration really wasn’t much of a celebration at all, as the players seemed ready to prepare for the next opponent.
The Beavers proved Friday that their improbable run through the Pac-12 tournament as the fifth seed was no fluke, and the season rolls ahead. Twelfth-seeded OSU grabbed momentum from fifth-seeded Tennessee nearly from tipoff and never gave it back thanks to an unrelenting defensive effort and some timely offense. The result was a 70-56 win in an NCAA men’s basketball Midwest Regional first-round game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Led by Roman Silva’s 16 points on 8-of-8 shooting, the Beavers (18-12) claimed the program’s first NCAA tournament win since 1982. . . . Tennessee shot 21 of 63 (33.3%) overall, including 5 of 26 on 3-pointers. OSU was 27 of 56 overall and 10 of 21 on 3s. In practice, the Beavers have a “change drill” in which the ball handler is pressured while all other defenders are locked in on the passing lanes. “We talked in the scouting report (about) taking away the elbows and blocks by having a presence there off the ball so that they couldn’t get their drives to the rim. They’re so athletic,” said OSU coach Wayne Tinkle, who collected his first NCAA tournament win in his fifth appearance as a head coach and his second with the Beavers. “Then we had to get to their shooters with high hands in man and zone. But you look at the defensive numbers. I’d say other that a couple touchdown turnovers the guys really responded to the defensive focus.”
