WASHINGTON – Oregon State coach Craig Robinson could have used one of his brother-in-law’s stirring speeches after his team’s lackluster first-half performance.

But with President Barack Obama busy shaking hands with fans during halftime of the Beavers’ contest against Howard, Robinson did the dirty work himself, delivering some choice words to his squad.

“The message was, ‘If you don’t play better than you’re playing, you’re going to lose,’ ” Robinson said. “But with a little bit more colorful language, and at a higher volume.”

Oregon State (3-2) responded to Robinson’s words, using a 17-2 second-half run to erase a 33-32 halftime deficit and put away pesky Howard (1-5), 84-74 on Saturday, making the Beavers’ trip to D.C. a success on all fronts.

“A few things we can accomplish on a trip like this: I can get my sister and brother-in-law off my back … and we’re trying to give our guys a good experience on the court and culturally,” Robinson said.

Obama and his family showed up right before tipoff, and both teams seemed rattled by his presence, starting the game off with a host of turnovers and missed shots.