Oregon State
Quinnipiac
Tinkle sets career highs in win
December 22, 2015 | Men's Basketball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Freshman forward Tres Tinkle established new career highs with 23 points and 11 rebounds and Oregon State closed its non-conference schedule with an 82-61 victory over Quinnipiac on Monday night.
Tinkle was 7 of 9 from the field, 9 of 12 from the foul line and also had three steals, two assists and a blocked shot in recording his first career double-double with a sterling 28-minute performance. His previous highs were 20 points against Kansas on Dec. 12, and six rebounds in four instances, most recently against Tulsa on Dec. 19.
The Beavers (9-2) thus headed into their holiday break, and the Jan. 3 Pac-12 Conference opener against Oregon, with their best record since the 2011-12 season. Their only losses were to Kansas and Valparaiso, who are 19-3 combined.
OSU scored the final three points of the first half to take a 37-34 intermission lead. It opened the second half on a 15-0 run, capped by senior guard Gary Payton II's breakaway dunk, to surge ahead 52-34 with 15:16 remaining.
Quinnipiac (4-6) never got closer than 10 points thereafter and the Beavers led by as many as 23 points. The 21-point margin of victory was the largest of the season against a Division I opponent.
It was also OSU's second win over a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference club; it topped Iona 93-73 on Nov. 17 in its most lopsided victory before Monday night.
Sticky man-to-man defense in the second half was decisive. A physical, board-pounding foe, Quinnipiac was just 10 for 35 (.286) from the field, 3 of 14 from deep, and was outrebounded 21-19 in the second half.
“We came out and played harder and with more focus,” assistant coach Stephen Thompson said. “This was a scary game, our third game in four nights.
“In the second half our guys just brought the intensity. The game was won on the defensive end. Coach Tinkle did a great job at halftime challenging the guys.
“Over the weekend we grew up a lot as a team,” in the victories over Cal State-Fullerton and Tulsa at the Far West Classic Invite at the Moda Center in Portland. “Tonight we took another step in that direction in the second half.”
Payton II finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. He was scoreless in the loss at Quinnipiac last season, the only time in his 42-game career he has not scored.
Freshman center Drew Eubanks added 10 points and senior guard Langston Morris-Walker and freshman guard Derrick Bruce added eight apiece.
Quinnipiac had 18 offensive rebounds but the Beavers outscored the Bobcats 46-26 in the paint, 20-16 off turnovers, 22-0 on fast-break points and 40-29 off the bench. OSU held guard Giovanni McLean, Quinnipiac's top scorer, to nine points on 3 of 13 shooting.
The Beavers will reconvene in Corvallis on Dec. 27 to begin preparation for the Civil War and the start of Pac-12 action. That game will be televised by Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Networks.
