. . . Yet the late-game magic that has come to define OSU at home was nowhere to be found. That reality will surely sting come film review, head coach Wayne Tinkle admitted. The Beavers will re-watch the 65-62 loss and bemoan opportunities squandered.
For OSU, though, Wednesday night brought more than a disappointing defeat. It represented a chance for thanks.
Before tipoff, a line snaked around Gill Coliseum. An announced crowd of 9,339 made it in the doors, OSU's largest home flock in more than three years. Fans were raucous for the full 40 minutes. It may have been their last chance this season, OSU diehards recognized, to cheer an overachieving group.
Tinkle could appreciate the sentiment. Attendees arrived at Gill to orange placards on every seat. A Tinkle autograph adorned each one; his personal thank-you to a growing fan base.
Five walk-ons, all of them Oregonians, earned their first career starts Wednesday. With no seniors on the roster, Tinkle had wanted to repay their diligence on a grand stage. He would do it all over again, Tinkle later told reporters. It hardly mattered that the starters surrendered a 3-0 deficit -- the same hole as the final tally -- before getting pulled.
"I thought it was amazing," said guard Malcolm Duvivier, who poured in a game-high 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting. "I felt that it was a good thing to show our appreciation to them for the amount of work they put in and for how they pushed us every day."
Throughout a resurgent regular season, the Beavers had trumped the odds at home. A shallow bench, an erratic offense, an inexperienced rotation -- no deficiency prevented OSU from a program-record 15 home wins.
