3 Reasons Oregon State Can Beat Gonzaga in Monday's WCC Semifinal
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The Oregon State Beavers and coach Wayne Tinkle are hoping to drum up the magic of years past after advancing to the WCC semifinal with a narrow win over San Francisco in the quarter finals.
The Beavers will face a tough road down the final stretch of the WCC tournament, facing Gonzaga Monday night and needing to win the next two games to prolong their season. Below are the three reasons the Beavers can do the unthinkable and make Wayne Tinkle’s last season with the Beavers one to remember.
Dez White will continue his hot streak
White scored 18 points off of the bench Sunday night to be one of OSU's leading scorers. He went six of eight from beyond the arc in his first game back for Oregon State from injury. If White can continue his hot streak, he provides another dimension to Oregon State that will be tough to beat. Having Matija Samar back from injury helps OSU's cause as well.
It’s tough to beat the same team twice
Gonzaga defeated Oregon State by 20 points in Gill Coliseum back in February. While the Zags are certainly a formidable opponent, the old catchphrase rings true in that it is tough to beat the same team twice. Take last season, for example: the Beavers and Zags split the season series, with OSU claiming an overtime victory in Corvaliis. If Oregon State can come out firing with a bit of passion in their performance, they could have a fighting chance.
They’ll do it for Wayne Tinkle
Tinkle is officially in his last season with the Beavers, as the Oregon State athletic department announced he would not be retained going into 2026-27. For as bad as recent years have been, Tinkle's Oregon State Elite Eight run is one that will go down in Beaver lore forever. If the Beavers who were recruited by Tinkle are able to make an impact, the Beavers can ride some magic through to the WCC final.
About State of the Beavs
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
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Kyle is a 2019 graduate of Southern Oregon University and currently does play-by-play for SOU football and men’s and women’s soccer. He hosts a daily sports show in southern Oregon on The Ace Sports Radio, 107.9 FM and 1300 AM. Kyle also does play-by-play for the Rogue Valley Royals hockey team and the North Medford High School Black Tornado for TableRockSports.net. Kyle lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and a Dalmatian named Penny.