Feb 7, 2026; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle during the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Gill Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Top-seeded Gonzaga has its sights set on one last West Coast Conference tournament title before it bids adieu to the league and departs for the rebuilt Pac-12.
The No. 12-ranked Bulldogs will begin pursuit of their 22nd tournament title in the past 28 campaigns when they meet Oregon State in the semifinals on Monday night in Las Vegas.
The fourth-seeded Beavers (17-15) reached the semis by edging fifth-seeded San Francisco 78-77 on Sunday night. Oregon State didn’t score until 6:22 had elapsed and later led by nine points with 85 seconds left before holding off a frantic rally by the Dons.
The Beavers also are leaving the WCC after the season to return to the Pac-12. They spent the past two seasons in the WCC after the Pac-12 imploded with schools transferring to three different conferences.
Oregon State will return to the Pac-12 without 12th-year coach Wayne Tinkle, who was dismissed on Feb. 26 but will remain the team’s coach until the season’s end.
“It will take a yeoman’s effort (Monday),” Tinkle said after the win over San Francisco. “We’re going to enjoy this a little bit and know we have a really tough challenge against Gonzaga.”
The Bulldogs (28-3) have won 11 of the last 13 tournament crowns, with second-seeded Saint Mary’s winning the other two (2019, 2024).
Gonzaga went 16-2 in WCC play during the regular season, stunningly losing to host Portland on Feb. 4 and falling at Saint Mary’s on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
Bulldogs big man Graham Ike was the WCC Player of the Year. He averaged a conference-best 19.7 points per game, ranked second with 8.3 rebounds, and led the WCC with 56.4% shooting from the field.
Ike played his first two college seasons at Wyoming before suiting up for three seasons with Gonzaga. He leads all active players nationally with 2,492 career points and is second with 1,118 rebounds.
“Try to dominate as much as I can,” Ike said of his approach. “Rebound as much as I can. I don’t know, man, I just love playing this game with great passion. Just trying to do all the little things to help us win.”
Ike has excelled in three matchups against Oregon State over the past two seasons, with outputs of 35, 26 and 22 points. The 35-point outing came in this season’s lone meeting, an 81-61 road win for the Zags on Feb. 7.
“It’s about getting our guys more dialed into the game plan,” Tinkle said of defending Ike. “He’s really good.”
The Beavers and Bulldogs split last season’s two meetings.
Gonzaga remains without Braden Huff (knee), who has missed the past 13 games. His 17.8-point scoring average is second-best on the squad.
Jalen Warley (quadriceps) missed the final two regular-season games but is expected to be available Monday. He’s averaging 7.1 points.
“Obviously, it really impacts us because he does so much and he definitely keeps us organized,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of Warley’s absences. “He makes all those hustle plays and all those important plays.”
Oregon State has drawn motivation and incentive from the dismissal of Tinkle, who led the program to the Elite Eight in 2021.
But with Tinkle having just two 20-win seasons during his time in Corvallis, athletic director Scott Barnes decided it was time to try a new approach in conjunction with the change in conferences.
Playing their second game since the dismissal announcement, the Beavers started the game 0-for-6 shooting with five turnovers and staring at an 11-0 deficit before getting things together.
Dez White scored 18 points on six 3-pointers, and Josiah Lake II also had 18 points for the Beavers.
“It’s been a really emotional 10 days,” Tinkle said. “… We tried really hard to make it about us, the team, and played our ball.”
Second-seeded Saint Mary’s will face third-seeded Santa Clara in the other tournament semifinal on Monday night.
–Field Level Media
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![The best moments from the Chargers’ brilliant 2026 schedule release video The 2026 NFL regular season schedule is finally here.And some have called this day the Super Bowl for the various social media departments within each organization.Every year the 32 teams put their creative juices to the test, with the Los Angeles Chargers often leading the way. This year is no exception, as the Chargers drew upon the legendary Halo video game franchise for inspiration.And threw more than a few punches at their opponents, and others, along the way.Here is the full video, followed by our favorite moments:Kirk Cousins’ friend requestIn Week 2 the Chargers take on the Las Vegas Raiders, and while Fernando Mendoza is the focal point for this early segment in the video, there is a quick cameo from Kirk Cousins.Or … KirkCuzzo … via a friend request:In Week 6 the Chargers take on their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs.While the focal point for this segment of the video is the “Donna Kelce Modest Home Reno Bundle,” there is OF COURSE a ChiefsAholic reference:LeBron called the Ty Simpson pickAs we have written here at SB Nation, LeBron James is the GOAT when it comes to telling small, meaningless lies.So in the segment covering the Chargers’ Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams, there is a comment from James, where he “called” the Ty Simpson pick:Then of course there is the fact this entire segment is a nod to Puka Nacua getting caught live streaming from the locker room …Each portion of the video has a title, much like a mission in Halo, and that includes the Chargers’ Week 10 meeting with the Baltimore Ravens.Which is titled “Pass the Physical,” a nod to the voided trade between the Ravens and the Raiders for Maxx Crosby:This portion of the video also includes a reference to the missed field goal that kept the Ravens out of the playoffs, and a message from the Chargers to “take care of Jesse for us <3,” highlighting new Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter, who was the defensive coordinator in Los Angeles.“Record One Interception”In a similar vein, the Chargers will take on the Jets in Week 11.A team that did not record a single interception in 2025.That is the mission referenced in this portion of the video:“Conquer the Cupcakes”This is the one everyone was waiting for.In Week 12 the Chargers will take on the New England Patriots, and the setup for this portion of the video is a mission titled “Conquer the Cupcakes,” a reference to New England’s historically soft schedule last season:As you might recall, that schedule did include a meeting with Los Angeles in the playoffs, and to their credit the Chargers engaged in some self-deprecation there. As the warthogs travel along what almost looks like Rainbow Road from Mario Kart, they reach the Wildcard Round.There is also an image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex — likely a nod to Will Campbell’s small arms — and yes, a pair of nods to the ongoing story involving Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL insider Dianna Russini. First, there is a “[N]ext photo dump 1 mile” sign visible and then moments later, notification titled “NY Post sent you a message” pops up on the screen.Emeka Egbuka’s X accountIn March, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka touched off a brief firestorm on social media when he seemed to question the existence of CTE in a post on X.Moments later, the Buccaneers relayed on the social media website that the account that sent the message “is neither owned nor operated by Emeka Egbuka. It is in no way affiliated with Emeka or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”So, the Chargers made sure to note that in their video:“Survive One Practice” and ChonkersWhether you believe in the theory that the electric substation next to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice field is the reason so many players suffered injuries last year, or not, that theory made it into the Chargers’ schedule release video.So too did Chonkers, the massive Sea Lion that recently dominated the headlines for setting up shop at Pier 39 in San Francisco.At the very end of the video there is this screen, which includes “The Hard Truth” — where the clip of Cam Ward’s brutal “we ass” assessment plays:But there is also a QR Code with the caption “Media Misfire.”If you scan that QR Code, it takes you here:Honestly, there are countless other references that could have been included here.Either way, another incredible bit of work from everyone involved. #moments #Chargers #brilliant #schedule #release #video](https://i2.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.34.30PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400&ssl=1 "The best moments from the Chargers’ brilliant 2026 schedule release video The 2026 NFL regular season schedule is finally here.And some have called this day the Super Bowl for the various social media departments within each organization.Every year the 32 teams put their creative juices to the test, with the Los Angeles Chargers often leading the way. This year is no exception, as the Chargers drew upon the legendary Halo video game franchise for inspiration.And threw more than a few punches at their opponents, and others, along the way.Here is the full video, followed by our favorite moments:Kirk Cousins’ friend requestIn Week 2 the Chargers take on the Las Vegas Raiders, and while Fernando Mendoza is the focal point for this early segment in the video, there is a quick cameo from Kirk Cousins.Or … KirkCuzzo … via a friend request:In Week 6 the Chargers take on their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs.While the focal point for this segment of the video is the “Donna Kelce Modest Home Reno Bundle,” there is OF COURSE a ChiefsAholic reference:LeBron called the Ty Simpson pickAs we have written here at SB Nation, LeBron James is the GOAT when it comes to telling small, meaningless lies.So in the segment covering the Chargers’ Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams, there is a comment from James, where he “called” the Ty Simpson pick:Then of course there is the fact this entire segment is a nod to Puka Nacua getting caught live streaming from the locker room …Each portion of the video has a title, much like a mission in Halo, and that includes the Chargers’ Week 10 meeting with the Baltimore Ravens.Which is titled “Pass the Physical,” a nod to the voided trade between the Ravens and the Raiders for Maxx Crosby:This portion of the video also includes a reference to the missed field goal that kept the Ravens out of the playoffs, and a message from the Chargers to “take care of Jesse for us <3,” highlighting new Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter, who was the defensive coordinator in Los Angeles.“Record One Interception”In a similar vein, the Chargers will take on the Jets in Week 11.A team that did not record a single interception in 2025.That is the mission referenced in this portion of the video:“Conquer the Cupcakes”This is the one everyone was waiting for.In Week 12 the Chargers will take on the New England Patriots, and the setup for this portion of the video is a mission titled “Conquer the Cupcakes,” a reference to New England’s historically soft schedule last season:As you might recall, that schedule did include a meeting with Los Angeles in the playoffs, and to their credit the Chargers engaged in some self-deprecation there. As the warthogs travel along what almost looks like Rainbow Road from Mario Kart, they reach the Wildcard Round.There is also an image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex — likely a nod to Will Campbell’s small arms — and yes, a pair of nods to the ongoing story involving Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL insider Dianna Russini. First, there is a “[N]ext photo dump 1 mile” sign visible and then moments later, notification titled “NY Post sent you a message” pops up on the screen.Emeka Egbuka’s X accountIn March, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka touched off a brief firestorm on social media when he seemed to question the existence of CTE in a post on X.Moments later, the Buccaneers relayed on the social media website that the account that sent the message “is neither owned nor operated by Emeka Egbuka. It is in no way affiliated with Emeka or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”So, the Chargers made sure to note that in their video:“Survive One Practice” and ChonkersWhether you believe in the theory that the electric substation next to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice field is the reason so many players suffered injuries last year, or not, that theory made it into the Chargers’ schedule release video.So too did Chonkers, the massive Sea Lion that recently dominated the headlines for setting up shop at Pier 39 in San Francisco.At the very end of the video there is this screen, which includes “The Hard Truth” — where the clip of Cam Ward’s brutal “we ass” assessment plays:But there is also a QR Code with the caption “Media Misfire.”If you scan that QR Code, it takes you here:Honestly, there are countless other references that could have been included here.Either way, another incredible bit of work from everyone involved. #moments #Chargers #brilliant #schedule #release #video")
![PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: Shardul Thakur four-for catches Punjab Kings off guard in Dharamshala There’s a certain inevitability about Shardul Thakur. He may not play half the games in a season, concede 15 runs off his first over – like he did against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala – and yet, produce moments of brilliance that turn a game on its head. He’s called ‘Lord’ Thakur and he lives up to his reputation.On Thursday, playing just his seventh game in IPL 2026, Shardul took four for 39 and brought a flourishing PBKS innings to a grinding halt, thus tilting the contest in Mumbai Indians’ favour.“It feels good to be back. You know, it’s not easy to sit out. But yes, the nature of the tournament is such where you have 25 players in the squad, lots of options. So, sometimes you’ve got to take it in your stride,” Shardul said.From his very first over, there was a spring in his step. The confidence of having captain and fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah standing at mid off might have helped. There were lengthy discussions and arms flailing, asking fielders to move and adjust their angles. “I think I have my comfort level with him. We had a lot of discussions; I don’t know much about the other bowlers. But of course, he’s never shy of sharing his ideas,” Shardul said.READ | Our destiny is still in our hands, says Haddin as PBKS playoff hopes hang by a threadHowever, the start was far from ideal. Prabhsimran was settled and he simply used the pace to nudge the ball in gaps and pick boundaries. Shardul had to wait six overs for his next chance and on the very first delivery, Prabhsimran shuffled across the stumps and whipped him over square leg.“I knew that it was the fifth over where Punjab’s batters would also try to attack. And it was possible that I would go for more runs. But the T20 game is also like that. Sometimes, you have the intention to bowl good length but the batter plays a good shot. And Dharamshala is a venue that is at a high altitude. So, many times, the shot that might get the batter out on the boundary line at other stadiums, can go for six here,” Shardul said.But Shardul has the ability to catch you off guard when you least expect it.By the 11th over, MI’s insistence to hit the hard length was no longer a secret. It is what Prabhsimran was expecting, and hence, standing in his crease to play off his back foot. On the second delivery, Shardul threw a floater on a slightly fuller length. The result: Prabhsimran was left adjusting for length at the last instance and could only hand a top edge to deep third man.Shreyas Iyer punched his first delivery through point for four, but could do little more than stare at the pitch when the next delivery, a cross-seamed one, hit the pitch and nipped away to peg back his off stump.“I think there were too many ups and downs in this game. In PowerPlay, we started really well. But then, at the back end of the PowerPlay and at the start of the middle overs, there were few runs flowing. The tempo was constantly changing. So, as bowlers, it’s very difficult to keep coming back and bowling good deliveries. Because suddenly, there is a shift in tempo.“You think what are my shutdown options? Then, suddenly, there is a fall of one or two wickets and then you are looking for wickets. So, there were too many switches in the game itself. So, in that way, bowlers had to shift their mindset quite a lot,” Shardul said after the game.From 107 for one, PBKS was left at 111 for three in the space of six deliveries. The home side lost another two wickets in the next two overs and had been halted in its tracks. Shardul stuck to his cross-seamed deliveries and prised out another wicket in the 17th over, this time castling Marco Jansen by extracting the low bounce off the surface.“I wouldn’t say I was too happy with my bowling. I think I could have conceded six-seven runs fewer than what I did. But the four wickets that I took, yes, I am happy with that. I am happier that I was able to take those in a winning cause,” Shardul said.PBKS eked out a few bonus runs at the death by bringing in Vishnu Vinod as Impact Player. But Tilak Varma put up a show of his steely resolve to get MI over the line in chasing 201.“Kudos to Tilak, the way he held his nerve. He spent the time in the middle and looked to bat all 20 overs. And he selected his balls, he selected his areas where he needed to hit. And also, to start with, [Ryan] Rickleton, the way he provided us runs in the PowerPlay,” Shardul said.Published on May 15, 2026 #PBKS #IPL #Shardul #Thakur #fourfor #catches #Punjab #Kings #guard #Dharamshala](https://i1.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/5ekaxe/article70981719.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/29_RVM_7543.jpg?ssl=1 "PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: Shardul Thakur four-for catches Punjab Kings off guard in Dharamshala There’s a certain inevitability about Shardul Thakur. He may not play half the games in a season, concede 15 runs off his first over – like he did against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala – and yet, produce moments of brilliance that turn a game on its head. He’s called ‘Lord’ Thakur and he lives up to his reputation.On Thursday, playing just his seventh game in IPL 2026, Shardul took four for 39 and brought a flourishing PBKS innings to a grinding halt, thus tilting the contest in Mumbai Indians’ favour.“It feels good to be back. You know, it’s not easy to sit out. But yes, the nature of the tournament is such where you have 25 players in the squad, lots of options. So, sometimes you’ve got to take it in your stride,” Shardul said.From his very first over, there was a spring in his step. The confidence of having captain and fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah standing at mid off might have helped. There were lengthy discussions and arms flailing, asking fielders to move and adjust their angles. “I think I have my comfort level with him. We had a lot of discussions; I don’t know much about the other bowlers. But of course, he’s never shy of sharing his ideas,” Shardul said.READ | Our destiny is still in our hands, says Haddin as PBKS playoff hopes hang by a threadHowever, the start was far from ideal. Prabhsimran was settled and he simply used the pace to nudge the ball in gaps and pick boundaries. Shardul had to wait six overs for his next chance and on the very first delivery, Prabhsimran shuffled across the stumps and whipped him over square leg.“I knew that it was the fifth over where Punjab’s batters would also try to attack. And it was possible that I would go for more runs. But the T20 game is also like that. Sometimes, you have the intention to bowl good length but the batter plays a good shot. And Dharamshala is a venue that is at a high altitude. So, many times, the shot that might get the batter out on the boundary line at other stadiums, can go for six here,” Shardul said.But Shardul has the ability to catch you off guard when you least expect it.By the 11th over, MI’s insistence to hit the hard length was no longer a secret. It is what Prabhsimran was expecting, and hence, standing in his crease to play off his back foot. On the second delivery, Shardul threw a floater on a slightly fuller length. The result: Prabhsimran was left adjusting for length at the last instance and could only hand a top edge to deep third man.Shreyas Iyer punched his first delivery through point for four, but could do little more than stare at the pitch when the next delivery, a cross-seamed one, hit the pitch and nipped away to peg back his off stump.“I think there were too many ups and downs in this game. In PowerPlay, we started really well. But then, at the back end of the PowerPlay and at the start of the middle overs, there were few runs flowing. The tempo was constantly changing. So, as bowlers, it’s very difficult to keep coming back and bowling good deliveries. Because suddenly, there is a shift in tempo.“You think what are my shutdown options? Then, suddenly, there is a fall of one or two wickets and then you are looking for wickets. So, there were too many switches in the game itself. So, in that way, bowlers had to shift their mindset quite a lot,” Shardul said after the game.From 107 for one, PBKS was left at 111 for three in the space of six deliveries. The home side lost another two wickets in the next two overs and had been halted in its tracks. Shardul stuck to his cross-seamed deliveries and prised out another wicket in the 17th over, this time castling Marco Jansen by extracting the low bounce off the surface.“I wouldn’t say I was too happy with my bowling. I think I could have conceded six-seven runs fewer than what I did. But the four wickets that I took, yes, I am happy with that. I am happier that I was able to take those in a winning cause,” Shardul said.PBKS eked out a few bonus runs at the death by bringing in Vishnu Vinod as Impact Player. But Tilak Varma put up a show of his steely resolve to get MI over the line in chasing 201.“Kudos to Tilak, the way he held his nerve. He spent the time in the middle and looked to bat all 20 overs. And he selected his balls, he selected his areas where he needed to hit. And also, to start with, [Ryan] Rickleton, the way he provided us runs in the PowerPlay,” Shardul said.Published on May 15, 2026 #PBKS #IPL #Shardul #Thakur #fourfor #catches #Punjab #Kings #guard #Dharamshala")
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