What the Cardinal just accomplished in Corvallis is not easy. Down their starting backcourt after Bryce Wills left with an apparent ankle injury, it took some time for the new-look Cardinal to find a rhythm and they leaned heavily on senior Oscar da Silva's outstanding 31-point effort to come out with a win and a "road" split.

The Cardinal have known nothing but hotels and trips to various gyms since the beginning of the season. They have yet to play a game in Maples Pavilion and head coach Jerod Haase described the mental strain of the current situation in some detail in the press conference.

Of course, just like with head coach Tara VanDerveer and the women's team they understand that, all things considered, the Stanford student-athletes have it good during the pandemic, but a life that is limited to hotel room-gym-hotel room, and very strict restrictions on in-person contact outside of basketball activities, will wear down anyone.

And yet, Stanford is 6-3 (2-1 Pac-12) and Haase got a very welcome lift from an "angry" Jaiden Delaire (more on that later) and freshman point guard Michael O'Connell did some growing up right before our eyes Monday.

Delaire scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds — 12 and four, respectively, in the second half — and O'Connell scored 12 points and pitched a perfect assist-to-turnover ratio: 8-0. That ratio is undoubtedly the best by a point guard in the Haase era and it came from a former lacrosse signee/spring basketball signee playing the most minutes of his young career in place of an injured starter. That's called moxie.

Stanford had 12 turnovers — down from 19 at Oregon — but Oregon State won points off turnovers 15-11 and the sensational outside shooting by Gianni Hunt and Jarod Lucas kept the Beavers in a game that they completely surrendered the paint.

Hunt and Lucas combined for 39 points off the bench and nine 3FG while Stanford countered with da Silva, Delaire and others doubling up the Beavers 50-24 on points in the paint. Stanford shot 30 free throws — made 22 — and Oregon State shot 17, but they made 14.

According to Haase, there was a moment in the first half when he asked Delaire if he was tired and also that the junior appeared angry. Delaire said he was both so Haase told him to get some rest but to stay angry. If playing angry is part of the reason he got a technical it is probably an agreeable trade if it nets the quality of overall performance he delivered Monday afternoon.

But the star of the game was obviously da Silva. While consistency may be elusive for him at times, there is no doubt that when the Cardinal find a way to activate him he can take over.