Oregon State forward Drew Eubanks said it was his ankle. Coach Wayne Tinkle said it was his knee. But whatever.
The fact is that Oregon State’s season is over, having been finished Wednesday in precisely the most fitting way possible: By nearly knocking Cal off the NCAA Tournament bubble in a first-round game earlier Wednesday but failing to complete the job after losing Eubanks to an injury with 16 minutes left.
Cal hung on for a 67-62 win that it desperately needed to hang on to its NCAA Tournament hopes, at least in part because the Beavers’ second-leading active scorer wasn’t available. Just like OSU’s leading scorer, Tres Tinkle missed 25 games and Steven Thompson Jr. missed another six.
“Boy, is that a microcosm of our season?” Tinkle said. “Wer’re playing our tails off right there and we lose one of our leaders. … He’s been a warrior for us.”
The Beavers, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season, finished just 5-27 yet Tinkle was optimistic.
“There was never a day where our staff didn’t look forward to coming to practice,” Tinkle said, “and that’s because of our guys—their effort, their attitude and their energy.”
California skidded into the Pac-12 Tournament firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, it was no surprise that the Bears had trouble putting last-place Oregon State away in a Wednesday afternoon first-round game.
