Huskies Drop a Heartbreaker to OSU 82-81
By Ben Renner
![Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/5051dfc953c7e368d3382ad26f256f4e68396303033f7014ca5b8ac3c72356c7.jpg)
The Huskies lost just before the buzzer to Oregon State 82-81, squandering 30 points from Andrew Andrews.
Okay, now it’s a must-win. The Huskies dropped another close game. This time it was an 82-81 defeat thanks to a buzzer-beater by Stephen Thompson. Oregon State trailed by two with 3.3 seconds left. Andrew Andrews had just scored his 30th point, going 1-2 from the line. Thompson made a great play. He dribbled the length of the court under duress, put up a contested three-pointer, and sunk it to sink the Huskies.
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Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar wanted a travel called before the shot–Thompson appeared to shuffle his feet, but the officials disagreed, and the Huskies suffered their eighth conference loss. They have played 10 conference games decided by five points or fewer, the most in the league.
Gary Payton II (I never get tired of typing that) had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals for the Beavers, who also got 18 points from Thompson and 17 points and 13 rebounds from Drew Eubanks.
Andrews, in scoring his 30 points, matched his career high with six three-pointers in the game. Dejounte Murray scored 15 and Marquese Chriss chipped in 14.
The Huskies dropped to 8-8 in the conference with their fifth loss in six games. With two games remaining, the Huskies have to play well in advance of the Pac-12 Tournament. If they can beat Oregon in Eugene on Sunday and handle their business on Senior Night against Washington State, the Huskies will still likely need to go far in the Pac-12 Tournament to get an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. Even with wins over quality opponents in the Pac-12 Tournament, the Huskies could still use some help to play for a national championship next month.
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Winning the next two games will be crucial for the Huskies’ chances. If they do that, we all get to bite our nails and hope on Selection Sunday. Hey, it’s better than preparing for the NIT.