CORVALLIS - His double-breasted suit jacket still buttoned, Wayne Tinkle turned his back to the action before him on Ralph Miller Court.
The Oregon State men's basketball coach with a 6-foot-10 frame began frantically waving his arms up and down toward the announced crowd of 5,330 in Gill Coliseum, attempting to raise their volume.
Tinkle twice implored the crowd to give more Thursday night in the closing minutes of what would ultimately be a 69-63 victory over UCLA. The gestures came as the Beavers finished on a 12-3 run, cementing a win that their coach acknowledged was significant for a team still finding its footing after a disastrous five-win season.