Beavs win OT thriller, head to CBI Finals

YOU JUST KNEW this one was headed that way, that the Beavs would face adversity time and time again and tightrope along the brink of the abyss before making their stand. The fourth meeting of the year between Oregon State and Stanford went back and forth and into overtime and when the dust settled, the Beavs came away with a 65-62 victory and a berth in the best-of-three CBI Tournament Finals.

It wasn't easy. It was mostly a tightly contested game with the lead going back and forth but Oregon State on more than a few occasions trailed by five or more -- including in overtime.

Each time the Beavers fought their way back.

"Unbelievable," said an emotional Craig Robinson after the win. "I am so overwhelmed by this gutsy group of kids. No one gave them a chance all year long. And then to come out and play a game like that."

OSU looked poised to win it in regulation after Calvin Haynes drilled a teardrop jumper with hands in his face but a twisting, Stanford fall away jumper at the buzzer sent the game into an extra frame.

Stanford, with momentum, raced out to a four point lead in overtime and later pushed it to five and it looked bleak for the black and orange. But Roeland Schaftenaar drilled a three pointer and then cleaned up a miss to tie it again 61-61 with 1:24 left.

Following a Stanford miss, Schaftenaar again came up big, hitting Seth Tarver in the lane on a backdoor cut and the Beavs led by a deuce with 27.5 seconds left.

OSU committed a foul but Stanford missed the front end of a one-and-one and Oregon State had possession with 13.6 seconds left and a 63-61 lead. But Oregon State couldn't hit their free throw attempts, Haynes made only one of two, the second barely rattling in, and the Cardinal had another try down by three with 12.6 seconds left.

OSU intentionally fouled to give Stanford two free throws with 3.2 seconds left -- the Cardinal missed the first and made the second to trim the Beavs' lead to 64-62. OSU again hit only one of two from the charity stripe but with 2.5 seconds left, Stanford's desperation 3-ball drew nothing but air.

Lathen Wallace was huge on the night, hitting from long range throughout to keep the Beavs neck and neck with Stanford. He finished with 16 points and pilfered three steals for OSU.

Schaftenaar had 14 points while Calvin Haynes chipped in 10 for the Beavers.

For a stretch late in the game, Wallace, Rickey Claitt and others drove the lane seemingly at will. But for a longer stretch in the first half, the Beaver D was giving Stanford far too many open looks and the Cardinal knocked down a number of long range shots to take a 21-15 lead.

Oregon State came back on a 7-0 run of their own, highlighted by Omari Johnson's three ball off a kickout pass from Haynes to take a 22-21 advantage.

But the Beavs went cold, failing to score for over eight minutes. Stanford couldn't find the range either, suffering a nearly six minute scoring drought.

The Beavs ended the half on a 6-0 run to take a 28-26 lead into halftime.

Oregon State now meets UTEP in the CBI Finals, a best of three that begins Monday night in Corvallis.