PAC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2021

Wayne Tinkle

Oregon State Beavers

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon State - 75, Oregon - 64

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions.

WAYNE TINKLE: Just a great win. Just really excited for our guys, the way we gutted out last night and then to bounce back against just such a great, great team in Oregon. What can I say? Couldn't be more proud. Fire away.

Q. Obviously one of the big things tonight was the three-point shooting. What did you guys do differently against Oregon that you weren't able to do Sunday?

WAYNE TINKLE: Well, we just got into shooters. The whole scouting report last Sunday was to arrive with high hands, pressure them off the line. We didn't do it. But we knew and we gave credit to them are for hitting some tough shots but there's a reason that we led the league in defensive field goal percentage from three. So the guys just responded and did what we did all year.

Q. Obviously Oregon there cut that lead down to five with about four and a half minutes to go. What did your team find from that point forward to pull this one out?

WAYNE TINKLE: We just kept defending and we just had better ball security. We reminded the guys the last 12 minutes they were going to start to rake and dig and to be strong with the ball. And they're a good defensive team, they get a lot of steals and they took it from us a few times. But we just had better ball security, we met passes, and then when we got the ball where we needed to, we converted and were able to get control back. But the good thing is, other than the breakaways they got off of some of those steals we kept guarding, did a great job defensively.

Q. You've had a lot of, obviously had a lot of games in seven years at Oregon State. Does this feel like the biggest win you guys have had under your coaching?

WAYNE TINKLE: I mean, it's too soon to think that way. But it's a big one for sure, but I'm going to tell you, we were a confident group heading into this game. We were confident this wasn't going to be our last night here in Vegas. So it's all in the way the guys responded. And, yeah, it's neat because we're in the championship game tomorrow, but we'll think about that, maybe you and I, over a coldy in the off-season.

Q. You just mentioned the confidence and Tres said it earlier today, just how much confidence this team is playing with. Where does that come from, where does it -- yeah, where does it come from?

WAYNE TINKLE: Well, we have got some young guys that are pretty confident group and then we got two wily vets and the leadership they provide. Ethan had a huge second half for us, so did Zach last night. They weren't happy with their first half effort and so tonight I think they challenged themselves to put two halves together and they really sparked us, the shots, the defense, and then the rest of the guys fed off of it. So sometimes a little bit of that youthful confidence has bit us in the behind end a little bit but the young guys have done a good job of learning how to channel that's a the season's moved on.

But I got to give a lot of credit to Zach and Ethan. Their commitment to bring it every day, to do things the Beaver way, on and off the court, it took a little while, but that younger group, the new group, I think has really been feeding off of that and that's what's propelling us here down the stretch.

Q. Can you talk about reaching the championship game and obviously what it means to be just one win away from the conference's auto bid, given the journey of this season?

WAYNE TINKLE: Yeah, it's a good question, but again, my head's still swirling a little bit. It's a great deal for our guys, for our program. Before we left the locker room I talked about all of the former players and coaches and administrators that have blazed the trail to make Oregon State men's basketball program what it is. So I said let's honor them. Let's go out there and represent. They're all supporting us, they're behind us, we have got them rallied, let's pay our just due to them, and the guys did it, man, they played with an inspiration and a level of heart and intensity. These last two games, really. More than we have seen throughout the year. The impressive thing is every time we faced adversity this year our guys have responded. We said that after we got boat raced against Oregon, and I give credit to the guys and the staff for doing that, especially in these times that we're in. We have gone through a lot and I'm not just talking about in a basketball sense, as a world, but the way these guys have continued to hang in there, support and love each other, fight through it, believe and trust in one another and look out for one another. That's what's flipped this thing around. Instead of thinking individually, we're thinking more for each other, and that's what great teams do. And the neat thing is, after the air comes out of the ball for all of them, they're going to have that to carry through the rest of their lives, which is going to really, really help them as fathers, as husbands, and as members in their community.

And that's, those are the staples of our program. So just great night for them, we have got one more left, I couldn't be more proud of this group. So I'm rambling, let's get to the guys that won it. Thanks.