Colorado @ Oregon St. preview

Colorado at Oregon St.

Last Meeting ( Jan 5, 2020 ) Oregon St. 76, Colorado 68

No. 15 Colorado squandered a 14-point lead and also lost sole possession of the Pac-12 lead with Thursday’s 68-60 loss at No. 18 Oregon. The Buffaloes will now try to salvage a split on their Northwest road trip Saturday night when they visit Oregon State.

Colorado had won five of six heading into Thursday night’s contest and looked to be in good shape with a lead for most of the contest, but the Ducks’ trapping defense took command late and the hosts outscored the Buffs 15-2 over the game’s final five minutes. Colorado struggled mightily with turnovers, committing 18 which led to a telling 16-5 Oregon advantage in points off turnovers. Meanwhile Thursday night, Oregon State continued its strong play at home with a 70-51 rout of Utah, but coach Wayne Tinkle says it might take an even better effort to beat the Buffaloes. “Colorado was up big and ultimately lost to Oregon, so I know they’re going to be hungry coming in here, trying to get the split,” Tinkle said after his Beavers improved to 10-3 at home this season. “I have to make sure we have our guys ready.”

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT COLORADO (19-6, 8-4 Pac-12): Big man Evan Battey had 14 points and 11 rebounds Thursday to notch his fourth double-double of the season, and he was matched by guard D’Shawn Schwartz (14 points, five boards) for the team scoring high. But leading scorers McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey, who entered the contest averaging a combined 27.4 points, combined for only 12 on 5-of-16 shooting with a trio of turnovers apiece. Behind a combined 19 boards from Battey and Bey, Colorado still won the rebounding battle 38-35 Thursday and owns the conference’s second-best rebound margin at 6.0.

ABOUT OREGON STATE (15-9, 5-7): The Beavers’ win Thursday marked the first time they’ve posted back-to-back Pac-12 wins this season, and they’ve won three of their last four coming off a four-game losing streak. Senior 7-footer Kylor Kelley led the way versus Utah with 16 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocks and at 11.3 points per game joins Tres Tinkle (18.6) and guard Ethan Thompson (15.0) with double-digit scoring averages. Tinkle is also averaging a team-most 6.8 rebounds while Thompson dishes out 4.3 assists to pace the squad which ranks second in the conference with a healthy 1.32 assist-to-turnover ratio.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Oregon State won the first meeting, 76-68 on Jan. 5, accounting for Colorado’s lone Pac-12 home loss so far this season. Thompson and fellow guard Zach Reichle combined for 43 points for the Beavers, who overcame a 12-point deficit over the game’s final 13 minutes.

2. The Beavers have won three of the last four in the series overall and have won four of the six matchups in Corvallis since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 in 2011.

3. Colorado ranks second in scoring defense in the Pac-12, allowing 62.8 points per game.

PREDICTION: Colorado 72, Oregon State 69