Oregon State
Portland
Beavers Host Conference Opener Monday
December 28, 2024 | Men's Basketball
THE GAME:Â Oregon State will open conference play on Monday when Portland visits Gill Coliseum.
TELEVISION:Â The game will be televised on ESPN+
RADIO:Â The game will air live on Beaver Sports Radio Network with Mike Parker calling the action.
LIVE STATS: Live stats will be available at this link
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QUICKLY: Monday will mark the 72nd all-time meeting between the Beavers and Pilots, and the first since the 2020-21 season ... Wayne Tinkle's first road victory as a Beaver came against Portland, as the Oregon State won 65-58 in overtime in the seventh game of the 2014-15 season ... This is the fourth time during Wayne Tinkle's tenure that the Beavers have opened a season 10-3 ... The Beavers are among the nation's leaders defensively, currently sitting: 12th in scoring defense (60.5) and 24th in Field Goal Percentage Defense (.368) ... Oregon State's best full-season field goal percentage defense during the Wayne Tinkle era was 38.6 percent in 2014-15 ... OSU has held nine of its 13 opponents below 38 percent shooting from the floor, and has allowed over 65 points just three times ... Michael Rataj and Damarco Minor are both tied for first in the WCC in steals per game at 2.15 ... Oregon State has shot 45 percent or better from the floor nine time this season ... As a team, the Beavers are shooting 50.7 percent in the second half of games and 42.0 percent from 3-point range in the second half ... Oregon State's three losses this season have come by a total margin of 18 points. By contrast, Oregon State's avarage margin of victory in its 10 wins is 21.9 ... Michael Rataj is top-12 in the WCC in points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage, blocks per game and steals per game ... Rataj is one of 20 players in the nation with six or more double-doubles this season ... Oregon State is 7-0 this season when turning the ball over fewer times than its opponent ... Head coach Wayne Tinkle is looking for his 309th career win.
THE TEAM: Here are some quick-hitters about the 2024-25 Oregon State men's basketball team:
- The Beavers' team features nine international players, representing eight different countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Lithuania, Turkey, United Kingdom). Counting the USA, Oregon State's nine nations represented is the second most of any Division I men's basketball team trailing only UT Martin with 12.
- The Oregon State men's basketball squad is one of 10 OSU programs slated to compete in the West Coast Conference beginning in the fall of 2024 as part of the two-year conference affiliation agreement announced on Dec. 22.
- The 2024-25 WCC schedule will see the Beavers face some foes they have not often seen during their history. The following is Oregon State's total games played against each WCC opponent (excluding Washington State) along with the last season the two teams met. Portland - 71 meetings, last in 2020-21; Gonzaga - 27 meetings, last in 1991-92; Santa Clara - 10 meetings, last in 1997-98; San Francisco - 10 meetings, last in 1968-69; Pepperdine - 5 meetings, last in 2018-19; LMU - 5 meetings, last in 2017-18; Saint Mary's 4 meetings, last in 1968-69; San Diego - 3 meetings, last in 2012-13; Pacific - 3 meetings, last in 1994-95.
- The Oregon State men's basketball program received a $1.5 million endowment from Joth Ricci and his family, part of a $3 million gift to the Beavers' men's and women's basketball programs. Ricci, known for leadership roles with Dutch Bros, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Adelsheim Vineyards, Jones Soda and, most recently, Burgerville, is a 1990 Oregon State graduate now serving as executive in residence for the College of Business.
LAST WEEK AT THE DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC:Â
- Oregon State took second in the tournament, defeating Charleston and Oakland, before falling to Nebraska in the final
- Damarco Minor earned All-Tournament honors
- The Beavers came back from a 12-point deficit with less than 4:30 to play in regulation to beat Oakland in the semi-finals. Liutauras Lelevicius tied the game on a 3-point play with less than 13 seconds remaining.
