Oregon State MBB Pushes Past LMU With Big Nights From Lake, Sy
In this story:
The Oregon State men picked up a much-needed victory on Wednesday night, defeating Loyola Marymount 76-70 at Gill Coliseum.
Josiah Lake and Isaiah Sy combined for 46 points in the game, with Sy turning in career highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Sy drained five of his six attempts from beyond the arc on Wednesday night.
MORE: State of the Beavs: Oregon State's Biggest Problem in 2026
The Beavers struggled from the field in the first half, making just ten of their shots. However, their defensive efforts, which resulted in five steals, and their ability to limit second-chance points for the Lions helped them keep pace. Both teams were also perfect from the free-throw line in the first half, as LMU was 11-for-11 and OSU was 14-for-14 in the opening 20 minutes. LMU had a one-point lead to end the first half, 37-36.
Oregon State came out swinging in the second half, building an 11-point lead over the first six minutes. However, the Beavers made just one basket over the next six minutes, allowing the Lions to claw their way back into the matchup. LMU took their first lead of the second half, 59-58, at the 6:23 mark. In the remaining minutes of the contest, Sy and Lake continued to be the offensive spark for the Beavers to give OSU a five-pont lead, but a three-pointer by Rodney Brown Jr. with 50 seconds remaining made it a two-point game again.
The Lions fouled Jorge Diaz Graham, who sank both of his free throws, then Brown attempted another three-pointer, but missed. Diaz Graham got the rebound and was fouled, again sinking both free throws to give the Beavs a six-point lead. The two sides traded fouls and free throws inside the final minute, with Isaiah Sy putting his team up eight points. LMU's Jalen Shelley made the final field goal of the game with two seconds remaining, but it made little difference as the game ended 76-70 in favor of the Beavers.
The Beavers finished the game with 29 makes on 31 attempts from the free-throw line.
MORE: Mercer Wide Receiver Adonis McDaniel Headed to Oregon State
Oregon State's win moves them to 10-10 overall this season with a WCC record of 3-4. Additionally, the Beavers are 9-3 at Gill Coliseum this season.
The Beavers will get to remain at home this weekend as they welcome Pacific to Gill Coliseum on Saturday, January 17. Tipoff in that contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
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.
Follow joehio_