Oregon St. knocks off Cowboys, Cunningham

OREGON ST. 80 OKLA. ST. 70

Loyola Chicago and Sister Jean getting back to Sweet 16 is a heartwarming story. Oral Roberts becoming the second 15-seed in tournament history to reach the second weekend is what makes March Madness so unpredictable. Syracuse and Buddy Boeheim pulling off back-to-back upsets was not expected.

Oregon State’s stunning stay in Indianapolis is as unlikely as any of them.

Ten days ago, the Beavers trailed UCLA by 16 points in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals. A loss would’ve ended their then mediocre season. Instead, they rallied for a dramatic overtime victory, and they haven’t lost since. So much for that preseason poll that predicted them to finish last in their conference.

Sunday night, just four seasons removed from a five-win campaign, Oregon State ended Cade Cunningham and fourth-seeded Oklahoma State’s season, continuing this improbable run into the Sweet 16 with a commanding 80-70 Midwest Region secondround victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“I’m grateful for it,” senior guard Ethan Thompson said. “I just got a feeling that I don’t want it to stop.”

Oregon State (19-12), the 12th seed, will face No. 8 Loyola Chicago in the regional semifinals on Saturday or Sunday after winning for the eighth time in nine games. The two underdogs ruined what most experts had projected as a blockbuster matchup between Oklahoma State and Illinois, the No.1seedLoyolaChicagodefeated earlier Sunday. Perhaps the biggest story of the tournament is the Pac-12’s success, with a 6-0 record.

“Maybe now we’ll get some damn respect,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said.

Oregon State, the sixth-place team in the league, last reached this stage of the tournament in 1982. The Midwest Region has been completely ripped apart, with No. 11 Syracuse also advancing. Second-seeded Houston is the lone favorite to survive.