Beavers Offer Intriguing Test

Tim Floyd doesn’t remember many of the details of his first (unofficial) college basketball coaching victory except the final score -- Texas El Paso 64, Oregon State 49 -- and the fact that his Miners were vastly superior to the Beavers on that February evening in 1986.

“We could have won with my wife coaching that night,” recalled Floyd, then an assistant coach filling in for Don Haskins because his boss was too sick to make the trip to Corvallis, Ore.

Nearly 20 years later, the challenge will be more daunting for Floyd’s USC Trojans tonight at Gil Coliseum.

Oregon State leads Pacific 10 Conference teams in field-goal percentage and field-goal percentage defense in conference games, a combination that could be a double whammy tonight for a USC team that ranks last in field-goal percentage and eighth in field-goal percentage defense.

“That just lets you know they play team ball, get down in their stance on defense and take all good shots,” USC junior guard Lodrick Stewart said of the Beavers, shooting 48.1% while limiting their opponents to 39.5%. “Those are the hardest teams to beat.”

Oregon State’s defense has been especially sharp early in games; Arizona State missed 14 of its first 15 shots against the Beavers before rallying for a 65-63 victory in overtime, and Arizona missed its first six shots during a 75-65 loss.

Shooting has not been a problem for Oregon State senior guard Chris Stephens, the only Pac-10 player to rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (.509), free-throw percentage (.909) and three-point field-goal percentage (.469).

The Beavers also lead the conference in blocked shots (4.7 per game), with senior forward Nick DeWitz averaging 1.9.

*

TONIGHT

at Oregon State, 5:30, FSN West 2

Site -- Gil Coliseum.

Radio -- 1540.

Records -- USC 12-6, 3-4 Pac-10; Oregon State 10-8, 3-4.

Update -- Stewart returned to practice Tuesday after missing two days because of an ear infection but may be supplanted in the starting lineup by freshman guard Sead Odzic. Oregon State senior guard Lamar Hurd is doubtful because of a groin strain. The Trojans have won three of their last four meetings with the Beavers.