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The Oregon State vs. Houston game featured a line of Cougars -8.
No. 12 Oregon State continued to outperform expectations Saturday, overcoming some early struggles to beat Loyola Chicago 65-58 to advance to the Elite Eight.
Senior guard Ethan Thompson carried Oregon State for stretches on the offensive end, finishing with 22 points and four assists -- one game after going for 26 points and seven rebounds against Oklahoma State.
Warith Alatishe surprised with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
"I think this team is so competitive," Thompson said. "I said it since the beginning of the year, our guys want to win. And you know they will be able to step out of their comfort zone -- all of us, really, just step out of our comfort zone and make plays that we might not be used to making, whether it's getting a rebound, hitting free throws, hitting shots. Or just getting a stop as a team."
Quentin Grimes scored 14 points while Houston's defense locked down on surging Buddy Boeheim, helping the Cougars beat Syracuse 62-46 on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Justin Gorham had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Cougars, who pushed through to their first trip to a regional final in 37 years.
The Cougars also got a strong all-around effort from DeJon Jarreau, who finished with nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
