Oregon State MBB Takes Down Winless Cal State-Fullerton, 70-51
Tonight, Wayne Tinkle's Oregon State Beavers notched their fourth win of the season by beating Cal State-Fullerton, 70-51, at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. The winless Titans fought hard and held a halftime lead, holding onto their advantage until just past the 12-minute mark of the second half before Oregon State went on a run to break the game open.
After the second media timeout of period two, the Beavers locked in, outscoring Fullerton 25-6 over the last eight minutes of the contest to create a 19-point lead. Before that, Fullerton defended their 32-25 halftime lead admirably against a much more talented Oregon State squad, but eventually, the talent took over for the Beavers.
Oregon State finished with three players in double figures, led by Nate Kingz, who scored 22 points on 6-for-9 from the field, all of which were from beyond the arc, and also recorded eight boards. Michael Rataj had 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-for-13 shooting, while Lithuanian wing Liutauras Lelevicius, who was cleared to play by the NCAA just before the season started, added 12 points on 4-for-8 (3-for-6 from deep). Guard DaMarco Minor struggled with efficiency, but managed nine points and five assists with zero turnovers, playing the lead initiator role effectively in facilitating the offense.
For Fullerton, just one player scored 10-plus: Davis Bynum put up 12 points on 55% shooting and 40% from three on five attempts. No one else scored more than eight; their leading scorer entering the game, Donovan Oday, had a particularly tough evening, shooting just 2-for-11 overall and 0-for-2 on threes.
Though it was a very shaky start for Oregon State, they demonstrated what they can look like when they focus in on an inferior opponent, evident in their 19-point swing over the last eight minutes of the game. They held the Titans to 22.7% from beyond the arc, and only allowed them to get to the line 13 times compared to their own 24 attempts.
Their next game, on Thursday, will be by far their biggest test to date as they host cross-state rival Oregon, giving them an opportunity for an early-season victory that could help define their 2024 campaign.
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Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.