Field Level Media
Nov 16, 2018
Stephen Thompson Jr. scored 17 points and Gligorije Rakocevic had 15 points and nine rebounds as Oregon State overcame a nine-point deficit in the final 6 1/2 minutes on Friday to beat Old Dominion 61-56 in the first round of the eight-team Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Tres Trinkle had 13 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Ethan Thompson had seven points for the Beavers (3-0), who won the first meeting between the two programs.
B.J. Stith had 15 points and six rebounds, Ahmad Caver had 12 points and Justice Kithcart had 10 points for the Monarchs (1-2), who have won 25 games in three of the last four seasons and won this tournament in 2010.
Rakocevic, a 6-foot-11 senior, made a three-point play with 1:46 remaining for a 56-54 lead, capping 12-1 run to give the Beavers their first lead of the second half. His dunk with 33 seconds remaining made it a four-point margin and Ethan Thompson split two free throws with 23 seconds to play to make it 59-54.
Stith scored on a dunk with before Tinkle made two free throws with 12 seconds remaining for the final margin.
Tinkle has scored in double figures in 38 consecutive games and was the only Pac-12 player to score in double figures in every game last season.
The Beavers will play the winner of the Missouri-Kennesaw State game in the second round on Sunday.
Old Dominion took its biggest lead at 53-44 after consecutive 3-pointers by Stith and Kithcart with 6 1/2 minutes remaining. Stith made 3-of-9 3-point attempts and Kithcart was 2-of-2.
Neither team shot well. Old Dominson shot 36.2 percent from the field and made 7-of-14 free throws attempts. Oregon State shot 41.2 percent from the field and had a 42-35 rebounding edge.
--Field Level Media