Beavers Edged In Opener At Dam City Classic

Friday, December 16

Portland, OR

8:00 PM

Oregon State

3-8

Long Beach State

3-10

Long Beach State

Oregon State

Center Drew Eubanks scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half.

Photo by: Karl Maasdam/Oregon State Athletics

December 16, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Presser

By: Oregon State Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon State missed a game-tying shot with six seconds to go and fell 71-67 to Long Beach State on Friday in its opening game at the Dam City Classic at the Moda Center.

The Beavers trailed 69-67 with seven seconds remaining after sophomore Stephen Thompson Jr. made the first of two free throws. He missed the second and grabbed the rebound, but his follow shot from inside the lane rimmed out.

The 49ers (3-10) got the rebound and made two free throws to clinch the victory. They made all 16 of their free throws in the second half and were 20-for-21 overall.

Thompson Jr. and sophomore center Drew Eubanks had 17 points apiece for the Beavers (3-8), who led for most of the second half before Long Beach State went ahead for good at 60-58 with 2:36 to play. OSU got within one point three times thereafter, the final time at 67-66 with 20 seconds remaining on two free throws by Thompson Jr., but the 49ers kept making free throws to keep the Beavers at bay.

OSU freshman guard JaQuori McLaughlin tied his career high with four 3-pointers in five attempts while scoring 16 points. He and Thompson Jr. had three assists; Eubanks had a team-leading six rebounds.

Freshman forward Ben Koné had five of OSU's six points off the bench in his second game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the first eight games. He swished his first career 3-pointer to get OSU within 65-64 with 1:14 remaining.

Eubanks dropped home a shot hook shot with three seconds to play in the first half to give the Beavers a 29-25 lead at the break. They scored just two points in the first 9:15 and trailed 6-2 before the offense finally came alive. McLaughlin had three 3-pointers and 11 points and Thompson Jr. had seven points in the closing nine minutes, when OSU outscored the 49ers 23-15 to build their halftime advantage.

McLaughlin has scored in double figures in eight of OSU's 11 games and has hit three or more 3-pointers four times. Eubanks has also scored in double figures in eight games, Thompson Jr. in four.

The Beavers conclude the Dam City Classic on Sunday with a 3 p.m. game against Portland, also at the Moda Center. The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.

Portland (6-3) edged South Dakota 85-82 in Friday's opening game. The Beavers lead the all-time series 53-16 and have won four in a row and are 8-2 in the last 10 games in a rivalry that started in the 1937-38 season.

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