While Southern Oregon comes to Corvallis as a formidable, in-state, NAIA opponent, Monday night’s “exhibition” clash between the Raiders and the Beavers may be more centered around Oregon State’s recent string of missteps and bad luck than anything else at this point in the season.
Head coach Wayne Tinkle and company are currently in the midst of a four-game losing skid, that began back on November 16th with a turnover-happy upset loss to Lamar and has now spiraled into three consecutive defeats to Nevada, Tulsa and Fresno State. If it couldn’t get any worse an Oregon State squad who is already on the outside-looking-in some four months before the NCAA Tournament, the Beavers now must also go forward without star forward Tres Tinkle, who could be out for up to two months with a broken wrist.