Oregon State
Arizona
Oregon State Falls To No. 2 Arizona
February 10, 2014 | Men's Basketball
TUCSON, Ariz. - Oregon State could not take down the second ranked Arizona Wildcats on Sunday night, falling 76-54 at the McKale Center.
Angus Brandt was a bright spot for the Beavers, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. The Australian also pulled in four rebounds on the night.
Roberto Nelson struggled to find room to shoot, as Arizona (23-1, 10-1 Pac-12) employed a tenacious defense that took away many Oregon State (13-10, 5-6) shot opportunities. The senior was held to 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Devon Collier added 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting. The New York native also registered two blocks and one rebound off the bench.
Arizona was able to outrebound the Beavers 39-24 and hit 50 percent (29-of-58) of its shots, which helped propel the Wildcats to victory at home.
"I'm going to take the blame for this game because it's been awhile since we have played a game like this," Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson said. "This one is on me, but I'm trying to keep that locker room up because we have a lot of basketball to play and have more games to play that are winnable."
Arizona was led by Aaron Gordon, who tallied 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed five rebounds. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Wildcats.
Oregon State jumped out to a 10-6 lead early in the contest after holding Arizona to 2-of-7 from the field in the first five minutes of play.
The Wildcats would fight back, reclaiming the lead, 12-11, after a Beavers turnover in transition.
Langston Morris-Walker splashed in a three at the 10:10 mark that pushed Oregon State to a 16-14 advantage.
With five minutes remaining in the opening frame, the Beavers trailed 27-24 in the defensive battle. Arizona continued to roll, going on a 6-0 run that propelled the Wildcats to a 31-24 lead.
Brandt completed a three-point play at 2:57 after getting his shot to fall and absorbing contact in the process. The big man hit the shot from the stripe and brought the Beavers within four, 31-27.
The Wildcats would close the first half on a 6-0 run, taking a 37-27 edge into the locker room. Brandt led Oregon State in the first 20 minutes of play, posting nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from the floor. Eric Moreland also used his length, grabbing six boards in the first period.
Arizona came out hot in the second half, going on a 6-3 run to take a 12 point lead, 43-31, at the 15:42 mark.
Brandt cashed in his second three-ball of the night at 13:36, chipping away at the deficit, 47-36. Once again, the Wildcats would respond, going on a 13-5 run that extended their lead to 60-41 with eight minutes left.
Arizona would not let off the gas, pushing out to a 20-point lead with less than two minutes to play.
Oregon State will face Oregon on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 12 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena in the Civil War presented by PacificSource Health Plans, The Oregon 529 College Savings Network, McDonalds, Wells Fargo Bank and Your Local Ford Stores. The game will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1.
