Oregon State MBB Hangs on To Advance To WCC Semifinals
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Oregon State men's basketball defeated the University of San Francisco on Sunday to move past the West Coast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals.
The Beavers held on to win 78-77 after clinching a bye that allowed them to play their first game of the event on Sunday. The Beavers are playing to extend their time with head coach Wayne Tinkle, who the school will part ways with at the conclusion of the season.
Dez White and Josiah Lake II tied for the team lead in scoring with 18 points. Isaiah Sy had a team-high six rebounds while Lake chipped in seven of the team's 18 assists.
Coming off of the bench and returning from injury, White played one of his finest games as a Beaver, sinking six of his eight three-point attempts. Matija Samar also returned from injury for OSU, scoring two points with one assist and a rebound in eight minutes of work.
Oregon State's Jorge Diaz Graham squared off against his brother, Guillermo, who played for the Dons this season. Jorge chipped in four points and three rebounds, while Guillermo did not score and grabbed three rebounds off of the bench.
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White played a fantastic first half, scoring 12 of Oregon State's 30 points. That consisted of making all four of his attempts from beyond the three-point line. If not for his efforts, the Beavers may have fallen far, far behind after a San Francisco started the game on an 11-0 run. However, the Beavers managed to cut USF's lead to just two points, as OSU trailed 32-30
In the second half, Oregon State quickly took a lead as White's hot streak continued. The Beavers sank hit three three-pointers in the first four minutes of the half. Lake scored 16 of his points in the second half, also totaling six assists, sinking several clutch free throws towards the end of the game. Lake finished 7-for-8 from the line.
San Francisco got minimal contributions from their bench in the bench, being outscored by Oregon State's bench 37-2. USF's bench only attempted two field goals in the second half.
With the win, Oregon State's overall record moves to 17-15 overall and the Beavers pick up their first neutral site win of the season. The tournament continues for the Beavers Monday, March 9 in a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Gonzaga. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. PT on ESPN.
Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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