For coach Craig Robinson?s sake, OSU turns corner

Did Oregon State?s Roberto Nelson keep his coach off the ledge?

Maybe.

It was Nelson, the 6-foot-3 junior guard, who rescued the Beavers from yet another end-game meltdown on Wednesday with a critical offensive rebound and game-winning putback with 37 seconds left in a 67-66 victory over Washington State in Pullman.

Before that game, OSU coach Craig Robinson opened his weekly press conference with the following statement:

?I?ll start by thanking everybody who has been calling, texting and e-mailing me, trying to talk me off the ledge. But I?m actually not on a ledge. I feel like we?re playing well, we?re just not doing some things at the end of the game.?

Nelson?s clutch basket reversed that trend by the narrowest of margins. It also kept the Beavers above .500 at 13-12, and out of last place in the Pac-12 with a 3-9 mark heading into today?s contest against Washington in Seattle. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

Perhaps somebody should be checking on Washington coach Lorenzo Romar.

The Huskies (13-12, 5-7) are in a free fall with seven losses in their past eight games, their worst stretch since Romar?s first year as Washington head coach.

?We don?t have any excuses. We have to be better,? Romar said after Wednesday?s 65-52 loss to No. 23 Oregon, a game in which the Huskies only led once, 15-14, in the first half.

?Somehow we?ve got to have the mindset against Oregon State that we are going to succeed. We can change this, but we have to get better in the next month. We have to get better.?

OSU understands that mindset.

The Beavers ended a five-game losing streak to open Pac-12 play this year with a 74-66 win over Washington at Gill Coliseum on Jan. 23. If they can do it again, they?ll pull within one game of the Huskies in the league standings.

It would also be the first regular-season sweep of Washington in 10 years. The Beavers haven?t beaten the Huskies in Seattle since the 2002-03 season. They are 2-7 overall against Washington under Robinson.

The OSU coaching staff and players are hoping the dramatic win over the Cougars will lead to more success.

?The consensus is that the guys are playing well and learning from all these experiences,? Robinson said. ?At some point, we have to be on top in one of them, hope that bleeds into the next one, which bleeds into the next one. You won?t know until you do it.?

Against the Cougars, OSU?s Eric Moreland got his first start since a three-game suspension earlier this year.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore responded with 11 points and 14 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. The Beavers are 8-1 in those games.

It was Moreland?s second double-double in Pac-12 play, with the other one coming in the Beavers? win over the Huskies.

---

OSU Men At Washington

Oregon State (13-12, 3-9)

Ahmad Starks, 5-9, Jr. (11.9 ppg, 2,3 rpg)

Challe Barton, 6-3, So. (2.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Joe Burton, 6-7, Sr. (11.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Eric Moreland, 6-10, So. (9.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg)

Roberto Nelson, 6-3, Jr. (17.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Washington (13-12, 5-7)

Shawn Kemp, Jr., 6-9, So. (5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg)

Aziz N?Diaye, 7-0, Sr. (10.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg)

Abdul Gaddy, 6-3, Sr. (11.5 ppg, 4.0 apg)

C.J. Wilcox, 6-5, Jr. (17.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Scott Suggs, 6-6, Sr. (11.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

Time: 8 p.m.

Radio/TV: KKNX-AM (840), KNND-AM (1400)/ROOT

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rgsports/~3/pgEK_c8fz7M/ppg-rpg-washington-game-osu.html.csp

derek jeter Red Bull Stratos Redbull Stratos steve mcnair vice presidential debate Martha Raddatz Chris Lighty