Jordan Pope hits 3-pointer at buzzer, Oregon State beats No. 9 Arizona 83-80
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Jordan Pope hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Oregon State an 83-80 victory over No. 9 Arizona on Thursday night, with the Beavers’ fans storming the court to celebrate the upset.
Pope scored 31 points and made four 3-pointers in the second half, none bigger than the 22-footer from the left wing as time expired.
Pelle Larson made two free throws for Arizona (14-5, 5-3 Pac-12) to tie it at 80 with 11.2 seconds left. Oregon State (10-9, 2-6) elected not to call a timeout, trusting Pope to deliver on the final shot.
The Beavers snapped a five-game losing streak. Arizona fell to 1-3 in conference road games and is dropped into a tie for second place in the conference, a game behind Oregon.
Tyler Bilodeau added 22 points for Oregon State.
Caleb Love led Arizona with 23 points. Keshad Johnson had 18 and Larsson 17.
Bilodeau’s 3-pointer capped an 11-0 run that gave Oregon State its biggest lead, at 77-68 with 2:27 remaining. Love responded with a four-point play to keep Arizona within range.
The Beavers, who trailed by 12 points in the first half, overcame a 44-36 halftime deficit with clutch shooting. Oregon State had 12 3-pointers to just three for Arizona.
Arizona made eight of its first 11 shots and led 21-9 less than seven minutes into the game. But the Wildcats were unable to extend their lead.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: The Wildcats continue to struggle in Pac-12 road games, dropping to 1-3. Arizona has a huge test Saturday at first-place Oregon. Arizona is the only Pac-12 team ranked in The Associated Press Top 25.
Oregon State: Since beating Southern California at home Dec. 30, the Beavers had struggled, especially on the road. But the win over Arizona should be a major confidence boost.
UP NEXT
Arizona: At Oregon on Sunday.
Oregon State: Host Arizona State on Sunday.
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