NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : In Miller’s Final Game, Oregon St. Loses in Overtime

Evansville guard Reed Crafton ended Ralph Miller’s long coaching career with a long shot Friday.

Crafton made a three-pointer with 10 seconds left in overtime as Evansville beat Miller’s Oregon State team, 94-90, in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. West Regional.

Miller, who is retiring at age 70, ended his 38-year college coaching career with 674 victories and 370 losses.

“I’m sorry it’s over,” he said. “I’m pleased with the results of our team this year and I hoped we could win one more. But so be it.”

Sunday, Evansville (25-5) will play Seton Hall, a 60-51 winner over Southwest Missouri State.

Gary Payton put Oregon State ahead, 90-89, on a short jumper with 49 seconds left and was fouled on the play, but he missed the free throw.

After Evansville retook the lead on Crafton’s second three-pointer of the overtime, Oregon State called a timeout. Payton missed a three-pointer with four seconds left and fouled out two seconds later.

Evansville made half of its 24 three-point attempts, including all four in overtime.

“We like to shoot the three-point shot, and if we don’t hit it, we lose,” Evansville Coach Jim Crews said.

Payton, who finished with 31 points, had tied the game, 78-78, with 11 seconds left in regulation on two free throws, after the Beavers outscored Evansville, 15-4, in the last 4 1/2 minutes.

Scott Haffner, who led Evansville with 26 points, missed a three-pointer with two seconds to go, forcing the overtime.

Teo Alibegovic scored eight points in the extra session for Oregon State, which finished the season 22-8.

“We had two problems,” said Miller, who took the Beavers to the NCAA tournament eight times. “We missed too many easy shots, and we made too many fouls.”

Evansville, which won the regular-season title in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, had lost its only previous NCAA tournament game in 1982 to Marquette.

Evansville led, 73-64, with 4:51 remaining after Crafton, who scored 13 points, sank a jumper to cap an 11-point run.

The Aces trailed, 39-37, at halftime, but Haffner hit a layup and a three-pointer and the lead then changed four times before Oregon State tied it, at 47-47, on a jumper by Payton.

Evansville took the lead again, however, and held it until Eric Knox’s three-pointer gave Oregon State a 64-62 lead with 8:58 left.