10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016
Payton II following in father’s NCAA footsteps at OSU
itself as a tournament regu-
lar since its remarkable Final
Four run in 2011.
OKLAHOMA CITY —
The Rams have reached
The last time Oregon State
the tournament in every
made the NCAA Tourna-
year since, and they’ve done
ment, it was led by a senior
so this year despite a new
guard named Gary Payton.
coach in Will Wade and
It took a generation for the
rocky beginning to the sea-
Beavers to return to college
son that saw them 5-5 after
basketball’s preferred post-
three straight losses to Flor-
season destination — along
ida State, Georgia Tech and
with another senior guard
Cincinnati in December.
named Payton.
It was after the Georgia
Led by Gary Payton II,
Tech loss that Wade, a former
seventh-seeded Oregon State
VCU assistant under Shaka
(19-12) will return to the
Smart who spent the last two
NCAA Tournament for the
seasons at Chattanooga, felt
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the Rams’ NCAA hopes fad-
it faces tournament regular
ing and told the players focus
Virginia Commonwealth on
only on the Atlantic 10 Con-
Friday.
ference schedule ahead.
The appearance caps a
The change in focus
dramatic two-season turn-
worked, with VCU winning
around under coach Wayne
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Tinkle by the Beavers, who
and reaching the conference
were largely relegated to Pac-
tournament
championship
12 Conference irrelevance
game on their way to secur-
for much of the time since
ing the school’s ninth NCAA
their last trip in 1990. That
appearance since 2004.
team featured the elder Pay-
“You had to give them
ton, the conference’s Player
hope,” Wade said. “So we
of the Year and future NBA
gave our guys some hope
Hall of Famer who will be in
and they’ve responded. They
attendance in Oklahoma City
responded well. We won the
on Friday to watch his son.
league, and here we are.”
What he’ll see is a team
Despite the regularity of
Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo
dismissive of its underdog Oregon State center Cheikh N’diaye (5), guard Langston Morris-Walker, center, and guard Gary Payton II (1) watch a foul their NCAA visits, senior
status against the 10th-seeded shot Thursday during a practice for a first-round men’s college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City. guard Melvin Johnson said
Rams (24-10), one fueled by
the Rams aren’t any less
his son — the two-time Pac- the goal, the main goal, to get won 17 games in Tinkle’s ton — who also averaged 2.5
“He’s such a laid-back excited this time.
12 Defensive Player of the back here and make Beaver ¿UVW\HDU
steals per game — brings to individual, I don’t think he
“It’s one of the experi-
Year who excels at a little basketball exciting again.”
This season, the 6-foot-3 the court for Oregon State.
sees that pressure, doesn’t ences that you never get tired
bit of everything just like his
3D\WRQ VSHQW KLV ¿UVW WZR senior has averaged 15.5
And he’s done so without feel it,” Tinkle said. “He’s of,” Johnson said. “If I had
dad.
collegiate seasons in junior SRLQWVUHERXQGVDQG¿YH feeling any of the pressure YHU\FRQ¿GHQWLQKLPVHOI´
another four years to go to
“We had a great group of college, but his impact at assists per game. However, of living up to his father’s
7KDWFRQ¿GHQFHLVOLNHO\WR another four NCAA Tourna-
guys that helped me do it,” Oregon State was immedi- his offensive prowess is only considerable legacy with the be needed on Friday against a ments, I would, and I’d be
Payton II said. “And that was ate last season as the Beavers a small part of the havoc Pay- Beavers.
VCU team that’s established just as happy as I am now.”
By KURT VOIGT
AP Sports Writer
SCOREBOARD
PREP SCHEDULE
TODAY
Baseball — Astoria at Dallas, 4
p.m.; Estacada at Seaside, 1:30
p.m.; Warrenton at Blanchet Catho-
lic, 4:30 p.m.; Reedsport vs. Knap-
pa, 4 p.m., CMH Field
Softball — Astoria at R.A. Long, 4
p.m.; Warrenton at Blanchet Catho-
lic, 4:30 p.m.; Knappa at Ilwaco, 4
p.m.
Boys Golf — Seaside at The
Dalles, 10 a.m.
SATURDAY
Baseball — Seaside Tournament,
TBA; Reedsport at Knappa, Noon,
CMH Field
Softball — Reedsport at Knappa,
Noon
SUNDAY
Baseball — Seaside Tournament,
TBA
DAILYASTORIAN.COM/SPORTS
Astoria softball team wins opener, 8-0
The Daily Astorian
ESTACADA — The Asto-
ria softball team opened the
2016 season with a road win
Thursday, as the Lady Fish-
ermen cruised past Estacada
8-0.
Starting pitcher Libby
DiBartolomeo allowed just
two hits with two strikeouts
and a walk, while Astoria had
seven hits off two different
Estacada pitchers.
Caitlyn Hougham was
2-for-2 with a double and two
walks, while Rylee DeMander
and Taylor Mickle each had a
double for the Lady Fish.
Astoria led 3-0 through
four innings, then scored four
in the fourth to break it open.
The Lady Fishermen play
a makeup game today at R.A.
Long.
Clatskanie 10, Knappa 0
CLATSKANIE — Clats-
kanie jumped on the score-
board early in a 10-0 non-
league softball win over
Knappa Thursday.
The Tigers led 5-0 in the
second inning, then tacked
on four more for a 9-0 lead
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Kaitlyn Truax had the only
hit of the day for Knappa,
while Paris Vanderburg (three
strikeouts, three walks, two
hit batters) went the distance
in the circle for the Loggers,
who return to action today, at
Ilwaco.
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