CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – For the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament, Wayne Tinkle had it easy: At Oregon State’s game he wore Beaver orange. For Gonzaga’s game, he wore red.
The reason for his dual allegiance? Tinkle is head men’s basketball coach at Oregon State. His daughter Elle Tinkle is a junior guard for Gonzaga.
When the Beavers met the Bulldogs in the second round on Sunday, his wore neutral gray but sat behind the Zags’ bench. His shirt had all of his kids’ jersey numbers on the back – including Elle’s 31.
Tinkle got animated, yelling at the refs about calls, then joined the post-game celebration on the court when Gonzaga beat Oregon State 76-64.
“I heard he was on the other bench at one point,” Elle Tinkle said afterward, laughing. “I’m glad I didn’t see that.”