Beavers Back At Gill For Battle With Bobcats In Nike N7 Game
Nov. 21, 2012
THE GAME: After playing two games on the big stage in New York City, Oregon State (3-1) returns to the comforts of Gill Coliseum to host Montana State (1-2) at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the 3rd Annual Nike N7 Game presented by Spirit Mountain Casino. The Beavers finished third at the 2K Sports Classic with a 65-62 loss to Alabama and a 66-58 win over Purdue at Madison Square Garden in New York. Devon Collier averaged 24 point and 10 rebounds in the two games, including career highs of 27 points and 14 boards against the Boilermakers, to make the All-Tournament Team. TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally on the Pac-12 Networks with JB Long and Lamar Hurd calling the action. RADIO: The game will air live on Beaver Sports Radio Network with Mike Parker calling the action. ONLINE: Live updates are available by visiting osubeavers.com and clicking on Gametracker. SOCIAL MEDIA: Live updates will be available on Twitter and Facebook. TICKETS: Tickets are available by visiting beavertickets.com, calling 1-800-GOBEAVS or visiting the Oregon State Athletic Ticket Office located at Gill Coliseum. Ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PROMOTION: The first 5,000 fans who enter Gill Coliseum will receive a free Nike N7 shirt. QUICKLY: Senior center Angus Brandt will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee; he is eligible for a medical redshirt to play next year ... Oregon State has held three of its four opponents below 40 percent shooting and are 3-0 in those games; the Beavers were 6-1 last season when their opponent shot less than 40 percent ... Oregon State has outrebounded three of its four opponents by a whopping 137-97 advantage ... The Beavers have outshot their opponent from the field and free throw line in all four games ... Devon Collier was selected to the 2K Sports Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds in the two games ... Collier had career highs with 27 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Purdue ... Eric Moreland made his second career three-pointer in the final minute against Purdue to give the Beavers a five-point lead ... Moreland is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game; the last Oregon State player to average double-figure rebounds in a season was Mel Counts in 1963-64 (16.9). NIKE N7 GAME: Oregon State is partnering with Nike N7 and Spirit Mountain Casino once again to honor Native American Heritage Month and will wear special turquoise Nike uniforms like they have the past two years and the special edition Nike Air Max HyperAggressor N7. The turquoise color of the Nike uniforms is a distinct departure from the traditional orange and black and is deeply symbolic of friendship and community in Native American culture. Nike N7 is Nike's commitment to bring sport and all its benefits to Native American and Aboriginal communities in North America through the N7 Fund, Nike N7 collection and Nike N7 program for Native communities across the U.S. and Canada. • The N7 Fund provides grants to grassroots community organizations committed to helping Native youth unleash their potential through sport. Since it began in 2009, The Nike N7 Fund has generated more than $2 million to help Native American and Aboriginal non-profit organizations provide access to sport for youth. TURQUOISE UNIFORMS: Oregon State is 2-1 all-time when wearing the Nike N7 turquoise uniforms with a 2-0 record last season. The Beavers defeated CSU Bakersfield, 86-62, in the season opener and Utah, 77-67, on March 1 with both games at Gill Coliseum. The lone loss was in the inaugural Nike N7 Game to Texas Southern, 66-60, on Nov. 21, 2010. vs. MONTANA STATE: Oregon State and Montana State meet for the sixth time in history with the Bobcats holding a 3-2 advantage. The teams played for the first time in 1927 (actual date unknown) in Bozeman, Mont., with the Bobcats cruising to a 55-36 victory. The Beavers took the next two meetings, winning 105-80 on Dec. 17, 1979 and a 72-63 on Nov. 26, 2006. But Montana State has won the last two games, claiming a narrow 60-59 win on Dec. 30, 2007 and an 82-79 overtime victory in Craig Robinson's fourth game as head coach of the Beavers on Nov. 26, 2008. The last four games have all been played at Gill Coliseum. MISSING ANGUS: The loss of Angus Brandt will be much more than the 11.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game he provided this season. Coach Robinson called him the "heart and soul" of the team as a two-time team captain and the first person in the gym for every practice and game. He started 50 of 51 games before the injury with the lone non-start against Colorado last season when he gave his starting nod to Kevin McShane on Senior Night. The Aussie finished ninth in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage last season at 53.5 percent (122-for-228) and led the Beavers in three-point percentage at 49.2 percent (29-for-59). His offseason work in the weight room was evident as he was averaging 6.1 rebounds more than his career average and had five blocked shots in four games this season after getting five as a freshman, eight as a sophomore and 15 as a junior. Brandt will have to apply for a medical hardship from the Pac-12 office, which should be approved since he played in nine games or less during the first half of the season. The official word is expected in March during the Pac-12 Tournament. LET'S START WITH DEFENSE: The defense was the focal point of the summer and fall practices and the results have been evident already. The Beavers are allowing 67 points per game with their opponents shooting just 38.1 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from the three-point line. Last season teams averaged 72.7 points per game and shot 45.5 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from deep. Oregon State has held three of its four opponents below 40 percent shooting and are 3-0 in those games. The Beavers only held seven of their 36 opponents below that clip last season and were 6-1 in those games. DEFENSIVELY II: Oregon State is averaging 6.8 steals per game this season after leading the Pac-12 in that category the past three years with 9.1 (sixth in the nation) last season, 9.5 (fifth in the nation) in 2010-11 and 8.2 in 2009-10. Individually, an Oregon State player led the conference in steals the past three seasons with Jared Cunningham (2.5) in 2011-12 and (2.8) 2010-11 and Seth Tarver (2.2) in 2009-10. DEFENSIVELY III: Oregon State is averaging 4.3 blocked shots per game this season after finishing second in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at 4.61 per game last year, finishing behind only UCLA by 0.03 (4.64). Eric Moreland, who led the conference in blocks last season at 1.9 per game, already has nine in four games in his sophomore campaign. CRASHING THE BOARDS: Another point of emphasis during the offseason was rebounding, and Oregon State has seen the results by averaging nearly seven boards more than its opponent. The Beavers have outrebounded three of the four teams they've played by a whopping 137-97 advantage in those games, including 52 in the season opener against Niagara after grabbing 50 or more boards in only one game last season, the quadruple-overtime thriller against Stanford. OFFENSIVELY: Associate head coach Doug Stewart talked about "taking the training wheels off the offense" and the results have been obvious for Robinson and his staff with all of their own players on the roster. The Beavers averaged 60.8 points in his first season, 60.3 his second year, 69.3 in year three, 78.9 last season and 75.2 thus far this season. OFFENSIVELY II: Oregon State enjoyed its best offensive season in school history last season as it led the Pac-12 and finished 10th in the nation in scoring at 78.9 points per game. It was the first time the Beavers led the conference in scoring (team statistics began in 1959-60) and bettered their previous best of 78.4 points per game in 1989-90. PAC-12 OFFENSIVE RANKINGS: In addition to leading the Pac-12 in scoring last season, Oregon State finished first in free throws made (630) and free throws attempted (931) and second in field goal percentage (.475, 22nd in the nation) and assists (15.8, 15th in the nation). 100+ SCORING GAMES: Oregon State set a team record with four 100-point games last season and has now hit the century mark 31 times in school history after scoring 102 in the season opener against Niagara. The 1978-79, 1979-80 and 1988-89 teams all scored 100 or more points in a game three times. The Beavers also set a school record with 90-point (9) and 80-point (17) scoring games last season. 100-Point Games in 2011-12 Season COLLIER SCORING: Devon Collier, a native of the Bronx, went crazy during his homecoming to New York for the 2K Sports Classic with 21 points against Alabama and a career-high 27 against Purdue. It was the fourth and fifth 20+ point games of his career and the second time he went for 20 or more in back-to-back games after scoring 21 at Arizona State (Jan. 14) and 20 against UCLA (Jan. 19) last season. It was also the second time he led the team in scoring in consecutive games after getting 19 against Vanderbilt (Nov. 21) and 15 at Towson (Nov. 26) last season. He has come off the bench in all four games this season after starting 57 of 66 in his career. He scored 473 points, the sixth most by a sophomore in Oregon State history, and has scored in double figures 39 times in his career to lead the team. COLLIER FROM THE STRIPE: Devon Collier came into this season with a 60.7 career percentage (182-for-300) from the free throw line but is currently leading the team at 77.4 percent (24-for-31) of anyone with more than two attempts. He made a career-best nine free throws against both Alabama and Purdue and equaled his career high with 13 free throw attempts against the Crimson Tide. COLLIER SHOOTING: Devon Collier is shooting 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the field after leading the Pac-12 and finishing fifth in the nation in field goal percentage at 61.5 percent (176-of-286) last season. It was the first time an Oregon State player led the conference in field goal percentage since Scott Haskin in 1991-92 (.612) and the second straight season Collier led the team in field goal percentage after making 57.8 percent of his shots two years ago. MORELAND BOARDING: Eric Moreland is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game, including two contests with double-figure boards, after leading the team in rebounding last season at 6.8 per game. He crushed the freshman rebounding record that was held for 38 years by Lonnie Shelton last season and, although it's early in the season, could become just the 10th Oregon State player, and the first since Mel Counts in 1963-64, to average double-digit rebounds in a season. Players To Average Double-Figure Rebounding In A Season Freshman Rebounding List MORELAND'S OWN BLOCK PARTY: Eric Moreland has nine blocked shots already after leading the Pac-12 in blocks last season at 1.9 per game. With three blocks during his freshman season when he was injured, a single-season school-record 69 last year and 11 this season, he has moved into sixth on Oregon State's career list with 81 and should be at least second by the end of his sophomore campaign. Single-Season Blocked Shots List Career Blocked Shots List STARKS FROM DEEP: Ahmad Starks can flat out shoot it. The 5-foot-9 guard nailed a career-high six three-pointers in the season opener and looks to be on his way to leading the team in triples for the third consecutive year with 10 thus far. He has made at least one from beyond the arc in 40 of the past 44 games dating back to his freshman season. Starks also moved past Brent Barry into ninth on the school's career list and should pass four-year players Calvin Haynes and Lathen Wallace in the next couple of games. Single-Season 3-Point Field Goals Made List Career 3-Point Field Goals Made List ANOTHER PAC-12 HONOR FOR STARKS: Ahmad Starks was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time in his career. He's the third Oregon State player to receive the honor after the first week of games, joining Jose Ortiz (12/1/86) and Gary Payton (11/28/88). Starks averaged 25.5 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead the Beavers to wins over Niagara and New Mexico State. Starks was also named Pac-12 Player of the Week last December and joins Payton (9), A.C. Green (4), Scott Haskin (3), David Lucas (3), Ortiz (3), Brent Barry (2), Corey Benjamin (2), Chad Scott (2), Charlie Sitton (2) and Jared Cunningham (2) as Oregon State players to win the award more than once. THE VERSATILE BURTON: Joe Burton simply does it all on the basketball floor. He was the only player to finish in the top 15 in the Pac-12 in rebounds, assists and steals last season, after leading the Beavers in assists for the second straight season (2.8) and pulling down the second-most rebounds (5.9). He is currently second on the team in field goal percentage of anyone with more than three attempts at 54.8 percent (17-of-31) and is tied for second in assists with 10. IT'S ROBERTO'S TIME: Roberto Nelson, who came off the bench in all 36 games last season, replaced Jared Cunningham in the starting lineup and responded with a game-high 22 points in the season opener against Niagara, the fourth time he has scored 20+ in a game in his career. He is averaging 12 points per game this season, the third-most on the team, and has scored in double figures in two of the four games, while shooting a team-best 43.8 percent (7-of-16) of anyone with more than one attempt from three-point range. NEW FACES SEE PLAYING TIME: Five players saw their first career action for the Beavers in the season opener. True freshmen Langston Morris-Walker, Jarmal Reid, Victor Robbins and Olaf Schaftenaar all played, while Michael Moyer also got in the box score after sitting out last season for transferring from St. John Fisher College. Daniel Gomis is the only player on the roster yet to see game time as he continues to recover from a broken leg he suffered two summers ago in his native Senegal. ROBINSON'S RECORD: It's been noted often that Craig Robinson had more wins (64) in his first four years at Oregon State than Slats Gill (57) and Ralph Miller (58) in the same timeframe. It was the fifth year for both Hall of Fame coaches when they had their breakthrough seasons with Gill winning 21 and Miller claiming 19. With 16 victories this season, Robinson would become the fifth-winningest coach in Oregon State history and 28 would move him all the way to fourth, trailing only Gill (599), Miller (359) and Bob Hager (115). BREAKING DOWN THE SCHEDULE: Highlights of the non-conference schedule include games at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Sports Classic and the first-ever meetings against Kansas and Purdue. The Beavers will also play Portland State in Portland for the fourth time in history, but it will be the first time ever at the 1,500-seat Stott Center. Oregon State opens conference play with three home games for the first time since 2006-07 with Oregon (Jan. 6), Arizona State (Jan. 10) and Arizona (Jan. 12) all visiting Gill Coliseum. FROM OSU TO NBA: Jared Cunningham left after his junior season and became the first Oregon State player drafted in the NBA in 14 years when he was the 24th overall selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night (Corey Benjamin was the 28th overall selection in 1998). Cunningham concluded his three-year Oregon State career 13th all-time in scoring (1,271), second in steals (219), third in free throws made (427) and fifth in free throws attempted (566). He was an All-Pac-12 First Team (junior season) and All-Pac-12 Second Team (sophomore season) selection and made the Pac-12 All-Defensive and All-Tournament Teams two times each. EUROPEAN TOUR: Oregon State went 4-0 during its summer trip to Europe, winning all four games by double figures while averaging 82.8 points and limiting its opponents to 66.0. Angus Brandt led the team with 15.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game with two double doubles. Roberto Nelson averaged 15 points and Devon Collier averaged 12.5 points and made 23-of-32 field goal attempts. Eric Moreland chipped in nine points a game on 16-of-19 from the field with 11 blocked shots and Langston Morris-Walker had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards in the final game. Aug. 21 - Oregon State 76, St. Charles 59 (at Charenton, France) Support Oregon State University Athletics by making your tax deductible donation to the Beaver Athletic Student Fund. For more information follow this link or call 541-737-2370. Former Student-Athletes are invited to join the Varsity O Facebook Page for upcoming Alumni events. Follow Oregon State Athletics On YouTube. Follow this link to find out more about the Pac-12 Networks.
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