Jordan Pope’s fadeaway jumper hands UA a third straight road defeat
CORVALLIS (OR) — Jordan Pope scored a career-high 31 points, including a drifting, step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer, as Oregon State stunned No. 9 Arizona 83-80 in Corvallis, Ore., on Thursday night.
Oregon State (10-9, 2-6 Pac-12), which entered as the last-place team in the Pac-12, beat a Top 10 team for the first time since defeating No. 7 Arizona on Jan. 11, 2015.
Arizona (14-5, 5-3) squandered a 12-point first-half lead and lost its third consecutive road game.
Pope, a sophomore, made 9 of 15 shots and led the Beavers’ torrid effort from behind the arc by making 5 of 8 attempts. His game-winner came on a one-on-one move from the left side.
(VIDEO): JORDAN POPE POSTGAME INTERVIEW
OSU was 12 of 20 from the 3-point line, while the Wildcats were only 3 of 14. Tyler Bilodeau scored 22 points, making 3 of 4 3-pointers, for Oregon State.
Caleb Love scored 23 to lead Arizona. Keshad Johnson added 18, while Pelle Larsson had 17.
Oregon State trailed by 12 points on multiple occasions in the first half and was down by 10 after the first possession of the second half. But Pope rallied the Beavers, hitting an array of tough shots, and tying the game at 58 with a 3-pointer at the 11:22 mark.
(VIDEO): TOMMY LLOYD POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Bilodeau put Oregon State up for the first time since early in the game when he made a 3-pointer for a 64-62 lead with 7:40 to go. He later struck again from long range to give OSU its biggest advantage, 77-68, at the 2:27 mark. Love responded with a four-point play for the Wildcats.
Pope made a big play when he bailed out the Beavers by using a pump fake to get fouled on a 3-point attempt with one second left on the shot clock. He made all three attempts to make it 80-74 with 1:27 left.
Larsson’s steal and fastbreak layup brought Arizona within 80-78 left with 52.2 seconds to go. He made two free throws with 11.2 seconds left to tie the game before Pope’s winning shot.
Arizona started hot early, hitting 8 of 11 shots en route to a 21-9 lead and prompting a Beavers timeout at the 13:30 mark. Oregon State whittled its deficit to five points late in the first half, but Arizona led 44-36 at the break.
–Field Level Media
