CORVALLIS — With his team trailing for the bulk of the first quarter, Scott Rueck was smiling on the inside.
Yes, smiling.
The Oregon State coach knew his new-look Beavers needed to face a team like Idaho State, which ranked 27th nationally in field-goal percentage defense a season ago (35.9 percent) because of its ability to force opponents to shoot away from the basket and over outstretched arms.
And eventually, the 24th-ranked Beavers found their groove, pulling away to a 61-38 victory Monday night at Gill Coliseum to improve to 2-0 in the early season.
"Hopefully I didn't show much emotion on the outside," Rueck said of his internal grin.