New Year, Same Beavers: Pacific Routs Oregon State Men 84-53
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On the second day of 2026, the Oregon State men's basketball team experienced something it saw many times in 2025: a loss. Playing the Pacific Tigers on the road in Stockton, the Beavers lost 84-53.
Five minutes in, Pacific led 13-8, and fans began to fear a reappearance of the Beavers' defensive difficulties. Five of the Tigers' first six shots found the netting, and six of their first thirteen points were scored in the paint. A big play kept the Beavers within striking distance: at the 17:23 mark, Isiah Sy drove through the paint and kicked out to an open Josiah Lake II for three.
The next stretch of play featured a rare change from Wayne Tinkle - starting shooting guard Dez White stayed on the court, flanked by four early substitutions - and the Beavers' new second unit attempted a packline defense denying Pacific close shots. The tactic brought mixed success: with 11:30 remaining, Oregon State trailed 19-13. A minute later, a pair of Elias Ralph free throws and a TJ Wainwright triple pushed the Beavers' deficit to double digits.
At the under-eight media timeout, Pacific's lead ballooned to fifteen. The Beavers shot just 4-of-18 from the field, and their misses set up Pacific transition opportunities. Two minutes later, Wainwright broke free of Wayne Tinkle's 2-1-2 zone and buried a three, setting the score to 31-18 Pacific with 6:04 remaining.
Coming out of the under-four timeout, Isiah Sy gave the Beavers a spark thanks to a catch-and-shoot three pointer, 38-29 Pacific. The following Oregon State possession was memorable for the wrong reasons: standout point guard Josiah Lake II set a hard ball screen for Isiah Sy. While trying to sprint away from Lake II's shoulders, Pacific guard TJ Wainwright unintentionally kicked the Tualatin native's right ankle, aggravating an injury suffered earlier this season. Lake stayed in the game, wincing through undeniable pain.
In the final moments of the first half, Wainwright stepped up, heaved a prayer at the buzzer, and brought the crowd to a roar with a successful three-pointer. Thanks to his impressive display, Pacific led Oregon State 49-34 at halftime. Through the game's first twenty minutes, the Tigers earned 18 first half rebounds, 12 points in the paint, and shot an infernal 46.7% from distance. In the first half, sophomore forward Johan Munch led all Oregon State scorers with 10 points in 15 minutes on 4-of-7 shooting. Pacific forward Elias Ralph led the Tigers with 17 points in 16 minutes on just 3-of-7 shooting; he was 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
The start of the second half would not offer the Beavers reprieve: after catching a tipped pass, the Tigers' leading scorer Ralph padded his stat line with another trey. On the next Oregon State posession, Beavers' big man Noah Amenhauser was called for an illegal screen. With 16 minutes remaining in regulation, Oregon State trailed 57-38.
With just over twelve minutes left, Oregon State center Yaak Yaak was defending Pacific big man KC Ibekwe 1-on-1 at the low block. The 285 pounder Ibekwe won the battle: he turned right, faded back, and drilled a jumper that put the Tigers ahead 64-41.
Credit coach Wayne Tinkle for trying: reserve guard Ja'Quavis Williford's game entry near the ten minute mark meant eleven different Beavers saw action tonight. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work. With 9:58 to go, Pacific crossed 70 points, while Oregon State had a mere 43.
The deficit worsened from then onwards. At the final buzzer, Pacific celebrated a resounding 84-53 victory, the largest win they've ever had in a West Coast Conference game, thanks to Ralph's game-high 24 points. Oregon State's big man Munch led the Beavers with 12 points.
The loss drops Oregon State to 8-8, .500 overall, and 1-2 in the West Coast Conference standings.
More Reading Material from Oregon State Beavers on SI:
• State of the Beavs: The Transfer Portal is Open For Oregon State Football
• Oregon State Starting Corner Jalil Tucker Hops Into Transfer Portal
• Oregon State Long Snapper and Cancer Survivor Dylan Black Will Transfer
• Oregon State Quarterback Gabarri Johnson Enters Transfer Portal
• Brandin Cooks Season-Highs Highlight Former Oregon State Players In Week 17 NFL Games
Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.