Oregon State has had a rough 2016-17 basketball season. So let's look back -- waaay back -- at a much more satisfying year for Beavers hoops fans: 1933.

Sure, it was the depths of the Great Depression, but Oregon State's cagers provided a memorable diversion for fans in Corvallis and across the state. Slats Gills' energetic "Orangemen," playing a then-unusual up-tempo style, blitzed their opponents all season. Heading into their final two games, both against archrival Oregon, they needed a victory to secure their first Pacific Coast Conference division title.

But for a while it looked like the games wouldn't happen. The designated official refused to participate, citing the "rough" play and fan heckling in the two teams' previous encounter. A fill-in was secured at the last minute, and the Beavers and Ducks took the court for what turned out to be an epic, brutal battle.

The short video above gives an overview of the story. And you can follow the link below to read more about the ref controversy and the historic game.

* How brutal is the Oregon-Oregon State basketball rivalry? 84 years ago, it scared off the ref.

-- Douglas Perry

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